Brothertale
by xxApocalypsexx
Summary: As we all know, Frisk fell and progressed through the Underground alone, and we never do find out if they had a family, or what they were doing during Frisk's adventure. What if someone figured out where she went, and went after her. This is a story about Frisk's brother, and his journey as he chases after a sister he has sworn to protect. Female Frisk, OC Protagonist. AU.
1. A New Beginning

**Brothertale**

 **A/N: Another plot bunny ambushed me, made it's home in my bed, and refused to leave until I started this. Knowing myself, I will get halfway through the story, lose motivation and/or my hard drive, and barely manage to slog my way through the rest of it. So this time I have a strategy...don't post until I have a significant buffer. In any case...I hope you enjoy this story. This is Chapter 1: A New Beginning.**

 **P/S: Since I plan to have recommended music for various parts of the story, I will mention that unless a battle has another theme, the song 'Enemy Approaching Remix' by SK_Jinx is the recommended standard battle music. Obviously, you can disregard this if you wish, they are, after all, only recommendations.**

* * *

 _I was never the hero of this story. That role belongs to my little sister, and always has. But me...compared to her, I'm nearly nothing. You see...me and my sis were orphans. We stayed in the Ebbotton Orphanage since my sister was a baby, and I was 4. Despite all our efforts, we never seemed to fit in with the other kids, and never bonded with anyone else. Our lack of true family...it hurt us both, but there was nothing we could do, save cling all the harder to each other. So we coped, in our own ways._

 _She was always very friendly to everyone she met, and some people took advantage of that, until I put a stop to it, promising her that I would always protect her. So she was lonely, yet never lashed out at all. I on the other hand...I fell into some bad crowds as a means to gain some measure of control over my life. She never really liked that, but she let it go until one day, where I was forced to beat a man to within an inch of his life, as a test of loyalty to a street gang I was being initiated into. When I got home covered in blood, she panicked and hid from me, which shook me to the core. The very last thing I wanted was my little sis; the most precious person to me in the world, to fear me. I managed to coax her into listening to me, but he told me straight to my face that I wasn't a good person, and that she wasn't sure if he wanted to be around me, if i continued on the path I was walking. Those words nearly shattered my heart._

 _With her being the only constant in my life, her opinion was really the only one that mattered, and so I cut my ties with all the negative influences in my life. I promised her I would never hurt an innocent again, even if it wasn't through a fight...but stopped short of promising never to fight at all...which she understood and accepted, even if she disagreed with me. My outlook now considered my sister's reaction to whatever I planned to do, weighing my actions against my oath. Her words became the most important things in the world to me...and slowly, she became my conscience._

 _Who is she? Well...you might already be familiar with her. After all, if you're reading this, you've probably already become acquainted with her story...a tale taking place in the Underground...Undertale. But that tale...never told it all. No matter how many times you began that tale anew, you could never achieve a 'perfect' ending. No matter what you did, no matter what type of guidance you gave her...there was always something wrong...something you couldn't fix because a piece was missing, a path that wasn't there. But in reality, the story continued for so much longer, and those missing pieces and paths were finally found._

 _Time twists and turns, and when one has reset it countless times, one might cause something to happen that hadn't before. Something like a brother catching sight of someone climbing Mt. Ebott, and putting the pieces together when their little sister never showed up for supper. Something like that older brother deciding to climb after her, carrying a baseball bat 'just in case'. Something like that person finding a scrap of cloth that matched their younger sisters favorite blue and purple sweater at the entrance of a cave. And then, that person jumping into the underground...like his sister before him, without a hint of hesitation._

 _Who is this older brother?_

 _You can call me Alexus._

* * *

"Oof!" I wheezed as I slammed into the ground, but funnily enough, I wasn't flat as a pancake as I expected. Pushing myself up, I realized this was due to the flowers which were growing in the thin beam of sunlight shining down, though the light was weak, as I'd arrived during evening.

"Well that's lucky. Where am I anyways? Under Mt. Ebott...this is...this is the realm of monsters...isn't it? Frisk...why would you come here?"

With nothing left to do but advance and hope I could find her, I left through the only path available to me. I entered a pitch black room, with only a single patch of light. Within that light was a single flower.

"Howdy." The flower spoke.

 _A talking flower? Is this a 'monster'?_

"Hi?" I said hesitantly, never dropping my guard for an instant.

"Nice to meet you. My names Flowey! Flowey the Flower. Hmmm...you're new to the Underground, aren'tcha? Golly, you must be so confused. Someone ought to teach you how things work around here." Flowey said.

 _Why did that sound so...rehearsed?_

"I guess little old me will have to do. Ready? Here we go." Flowey said, before _something_ happened. I felt like I was being squeezed, before an orange heart appeared directly in front of me. Additionally, I noticed some words and numbers hovering in my vision.

 **LV 5 HP 55/55**

 _What's going on?_

"See that heart? That is your SOUL, the very culmination of your being! Your SOUL can grow stronger if you gain a lot of **LV**. What's **LV** stand for? Why, **LOVE** , of course!"

 _...This definitely sounds scripted, I mean...who talks like this? But the question becomes...why? Is he nervous...or is this a trap?_

"You want some **LOVE** , don't you? Don't worry, I'll share some with you! Down here, **LOVE** is shared through...little white...'friendliness pellets'." Flowey said, as he let out 5 of the pellets.

 _Yeah, sounds legit._ _Totally 'not' a trap, and I'm definitely 'not' being sarcastic here._

"Are you ready? Move around! Get as many as you can!" Flowey said, as the pellets came towards me.

"...Actually, why don't you have them, so _you_ can increase _your_ **LOVE**!" I shouted, as I bravely swung my bat as the pellets were about to hit my SOUL, giving up the opportunity to dodge. I connected with 3 of the pellets, **COUNTERING** his attack and sent them flying back at Flowey. His face was one of panic, as the pellets slammed into him.

 ***58***

"OW! You... _ **you know what's going on here, don't you**_ **!?** _ **You just wanted to see me suffer!**_ **"** He shouted, no longer giving me a friendly face, instead showing an almost demonic face. I grinned.

"Nothing in this world is free, underground or surface. Had you worked on your pitch, maybe I would have fallen for it." I said.

" **Well it sure worked fine on the brat who came earlier!** "He shouted. I narrowed my eyes.

"Care to repeat that." I said slowly and quietly. The atmosphere of the room darkened, though the flower seemed not to notice.

" **That snot nosed kid who came through earlier fell pretty hard for it. If that lousy goat hadn't come I would have...** " At this point, Flowey stopped talking. I'm sure he would have said more, but it was at this point that my bat connected with Flowey's head.

 ***25***

"That kid was my little sister you bastard!" I shouted. Flowey recovered from my strike and surrounded my SOUL with his bullets.

" _ **DIE!"**_ Flowey shouted. I readied my bat.

"I'm not afraid of you! Bring it on!" I shouted back. My SOULlet out a small pulse of orange light, and I felt like I'd grown slightly stronger.

* * *

 **You are filled with BRAVERY!** **AT increased.**

 **Alexus LV 5 55/55 HP**

 **Fight Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 _Weird...these words...are they linked to me or something? Let's try 'Fight'._

The second I thought that, my SOUL hovered over the FIGHT button. With but a thought, I confirmed my selection and attacked Flowey again by deflecting some of his bullets away from me, which had the added benefit of allowing me to escape his bullet ring.

 ***12***

 _He's ready for me now. It's not going to be as easy to hurt him._

" **Heh...I guess you're stronger than they were. You don't need someone to come save you."**

Bullets rained from all around me. I did my best to dodge them, but took a couple hits.

 ***5***

 ***3***

The first hit shocked me with the _pain_ that radiated through my body, despite my body being completely unharmed. The second wasn't as bad, if only because I anticipated the pain. Seeing as Flowey could attack from any direction with his 'friendliness pellets', I decided that drawing out the fight was a bad idea. I needed to find out if Flowey had a weakness to end this quickly. With that thought, my SOUL disappeared from the FIGHT button, and instead hovered instead over the ACT button.

 _So 'ACT', is any action I take that isn't attacking. I guess 'ITEM' would be using anything I'm carrying besides my weapon...that leaves 'MERCY'...which sounds like a waste of time in a fight. But I bet Frisk would use it any chance she could...she never fights, even if she gets hurt. I suppose teaching her how to fight could also be considered a waste of time, even though I would never have 'not' taught her. Ugh, stop daydreaming Alexus, don't get distracted!_

* * *

 **Survive.**

 **Alexus LV 5 47/55 HP**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 ***Check Taunt**

 **Insult Ignore**

* * *

 **Flowey the Flower 19 ATT 4 DEF**

 **A deceitful flower who attacks those who fall into the Underground.**

 **Weak defense, relies on sneak attacks and trickery to triumph.**

* * *

More bullets, though now, I realized their general pattern, and managed to dodge them all.

"So what now? We gonna keep this up until I stomp ya into the dirt? It's only a matter of time, and you don't have the defenses to stand up to me!" I said. Flowey scowled at me, but didn't attack.

"Not likely. Fine. Go on ahead, if I don't kill you something else will. After all, in this world, it's **kill or be killed!** " Flowey said, before disappearing into the dirt.

* * *

 **You WON! You earned 0 XP and 0 Gold.**

* * *

"Heh. So, that's the first _monster_ I've ever seen, and so far I'm not impressed. But he hurt Frisk...where is she anyways? Are you here Frisk!?" I called, not really expecting an answer. I noticed a path off to the right that I hadn't seen before, and with no other option other than turning back, I advanced. I found myself in a strange structure, with only a single path available to me.

As I moved through the strange purplish catacombs, I came across several simplistic traps, many with the solutions posted nearby.

 _Perhaps someone is looking out for who falls down here...or maybe they're just forgetful._

As I walked through an empty room, I was suddenly enveloped in that strange squeezing sensation again, as a strange frog-like creature appeared.

 _The heck is this thing? Another monster? Anyways...hopefully I don't need to kill it._

* * *

 **Froggit hopped close!**

 **Alexus LV 5 47/55 HP**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Check Complement**

 ***Threaten**

* * *

"You'd better back off!" I shouted, hefting my bat threateningly. It didn't seem to truly understand, but still shied away from me, scared.

 _...it's almost like...a child. Is it a child? It really seems like it...dammit, now I feel guilty._

It suddenly jumped towards me, and I only barely managed to dodge it. It landed and turned to face me, shivering.

 _I don't think it actually wants to fight, it just lives here. Maybe if I show I don't want to fight it either?_

* * *

 **Froggit doesn't seem to know why it's here.**

 **Alexus LV 5 47/55 HP**

 **Fight Act Item *Mercy**

* * *

I lowered my bat and backed away from the Froggit.

"I don't want to fight you, you know. Can we stop this?" I said in an even tone. It seemed to calm down slightly, and I thought I saw it smile. With that, the Froggit hopped away, dropping a single coin. As it did so, more words appeared.

* * *

 **You WON! You earned 0 XP and 1 Gold.**

* * *

 _...that was weird. Oh well, free money!_

With the notes let on the traps and my own wits, navigating these 'ruins' was easy, though the points where I had to deliberately fall tripped me up for a little while. Occasionally I was attacked, but it seemed that the 'monsters' here weren't exactly all that monstrous. Finding their little quirks allowed me to proceed without hurting anyone, and conscious of my promise to Frisk, I was careful not to lay even a finger on any of those I encountered.

Eventually, I reached a point where I could see an entire city before me...seemingly abandoned. On the ledge I found something that didn't seem to belong...a knife. Picking it up, I noticed that it was plastic...a toy.

 _Maybe now would be a good time to check my 'ITEMS', now that I actually have one._

With that thought, a whole new set of words appeared in front of me.

* * *

 **ITEM**

 **STAT**

* * *

 _What is this now? Some sort of 'menu'? Hmm...STAT? What's that?_

* * *

 **ITEM**

 ***STAT**

* * *

" **Alexus"**

 **LV 5**

 **HP 47/55**

 **AT 27(15) EXP: 168**

 **DF 29(20) NEXT: 32**

 **Weapon: Metal Bat**

 **Armour: Leather Jacket**

 **Gold: 1**

* * *

 _How odd...these strange words seem to quantify my strength into these numbers...almost like a game. If I somehow increased my LV...would I get stronger? But how would I do that? I doubt the flower was telling the truth about 'LOVE' in the first place, for all I know it could be a very bad thing to have a lot of. And do I really need to be stronger? After all...I promised Frisk that I'd change. Getting stronger would imply that I was preparing to hurt people. In any case...let's check ITEMs now._

* * *

 ***ITEM**

 **STAT**

* * *

 **Scrap of Cloth**

 ***Toy Knife**

* * *

 _Well...that was self explanatory. Let's see how it measures up._

* * *

 **Toy Knife**

 **Looks like a childs plaything.**

 **3 AT**

* * *

 _Yep...compared to my bat, it's pathetic. If I need to fight...I'd rather use my bat. I don't need this._

I threw away the Toy Knife like the worthless piece of trash that it was.

 _Enough fooling around. I need to find Frisk._

Seeing as there was no path leading forwards, I turned back and took another path. A dead tree in front of a house greeted me. As there were no other paths for me to take, I walked up and knocked on the door. I heard footsteps, and the door opened, revealing a woman, who very much resembled a goat.

"Erm...hello?" I said hesitantly.

"Another? Er...greetings."

"I was wondering if you knew the way out of here, or if you've seen a young child come through here."

"Oh, are you acquainted with the child who came earlier?" The lady asked. I nodded.

"You saw them!? They're my sister, I got worried when they didn't come home, and then I saw a scrap of fabric from their sweater at the entrance to a cave, and when I investigated, I fell down here. Oh...my names Alexus by the way." I said. I pulled out the _Scrap of Cloth_ to show her. The lady nodded.

"My name is Toriel, and I am the caretaker of this place, the Ruins. That scrap definitely matches what the child was wearing. OH...look at me, I haven't even invited you in! Come in, have a seat, can I get anything for you?"

"Well...I never did eat supper..." I said. Toriel smiled.

"As it happens, I've made a butterscotch-cinnamon pie. Would you like that?" I nodded.

"I personally love butterscotch...and I'm guessing Frisk went for the cinnamon?" I said. Toriel nodded. She set a plate of pie for me, and I slowly ate while we continued to talk. I noticed my HP ticking up after every bite, and soon, it was maxed out.

"So you're safe Frisk...I was so worried. Are they still here?" I asked. Toriel shook her head.

"They...they wished to proceed out of the Ruins. I tried to stop her, but..."

"She's stubborn, isn't she? I'm guessing she wouldn't take no for an answer."

"She wouldn't at that. Not only that, but..." She trailed off, looking...ashamed?

"Did something happen?"

"I attempted to reason with them, warning them of the dangers. Alexus...many monsters wouldn't hesitate to strike down a human child, simply to get at their SOUL. Our king, ASGORE, covets these SOULs."

"Get her SOUL? But...what makes a human SOUL so valuable?"

"...we are trapped here in the underground, sealed behind a barrier your ancestors placed many many years ago. This barrier requires the power of 7 Human SOULs to break it, or a single SOUL to simply pass through...and currently, ASGORE...the King of Monsters, possesses 6. He only needs one more...to break the barrier and set his people free. He will not hesitate. He will send his Royal Guard to seek and destroy any human who falls, or, should they reach him, do so himself."

I rose to my feet, ready to charge off. Toriel placed her hand on my wrist.

"Calm yourself...I tried to warn Frisk of this, and when she refused...I fought against her, trying to either make her retreat...or show me she has the strength to survive."

"And she refused entirely, didn't she?" I said, calming myself slightly and returning to my seat. I did need as much information as she could give me.

"She refused to fight me...and she also refused to run. She repeatedly showed MERCY..and SPARED me. Even when she was on the last vestiges of her strength...she wouldn't give up."

"So you let her go?"

"I did. I...do have a friend in the underground who promised me he would protect any humans who came through...but I was not sure it would be enough."

"Well...I guess I'll go after her then."

"...Alexus...I'm not sure...I can allow that."

"What!? Of course I'm going after my sister. You can't say I'm too weak to protect myself."

"Oh, it's not your safety I'm concerned about. No...from what I can see...you are more than adept at hurting others." Toriel's voice, despite never changing tone, suddenly felt harsh and judgmental.

"What?" I said nervously.

"Do you know what **LV** is...and what it stands for?" Toriel asked.

"... **LV**. A certain flower told me is stands for **LOVE**." I said slowly.

"That much is true, but is also misleading. **LOVE** itself is an acronym...it stands for **Level Of Violence**. A measurement of how easily you can hurt others. It is increased by gaining **EXP** , or **Execution Points** , a measurement of how much you have hurt others. So tell me Alexus...how can I justify endangering all monsters, when you already have 5 **LV**? You've barely even been down here, and even had you slaughtered everyone within the Ruins, you would only be at 4 **LV**. So you were already someone who utilizes violence, even on the surface."

"How did..."

"A simple 'Check' told me all I needed to know. I ordinarily would not invade the privacy of someone who fell, but you are the first to fall who is not a child. I felt the risks too great...and I can see I was not mistaken. I can't risk letting you through...monsters are vulnerable to the hatred...the _killing intent_ that one **must** feel when one has a high amount of **LV**. The problem only grows when a monster doesn't want to fight...their SOUL becomes extremely vulnerable to attack. You could very easily kill as many as you wanted...I can't risk that. If you wish to force the issue...then I'm afraid you already know what I'll need to do."

"...I haven't killed a single monster, and I don't intend to start. Can't you trust me?" I asked, trying to avoid what I could clearly see happening. Toriel shook her head.

"Regardless, you clearly are someone who's used to using violence to solve their problems. How can I trust you?" Toriel said.

"The surface isn't as nice a place as you seem to believe. It was a matter of survival...and I've been trying to change for Frisk's sake if nothing else! Toriel...Are you certain there's no way I can prove myself to you?"

"I am sorry, but I cannot put my fellow monsters at risk." Toriel said sadly. I sighed and nodded.

"...Let's...talk about this tomorrow. I'm really tired, and I don't...I..." I said, trying to put off what I knew now had to happen.

"As you wish. There is a room down the fall for you, though the bed may be a bit small, as it was intended for children." Toriel offered.

 _Surely she knows...I can't just abandon Frisk. But...she's still...treating me kindly._

"It's better than the floor. Thank you Toriel." I said. She nodded, and returned to her own room. I went to the room she had indicated, lay down on the bed, and tried to rest. Thoughts bounced around inside me head, refusing to allow me to

 _I...really don't want to fight her. But she's not giving me a choice in the matter. I...I HAVE to protect Frisk._

All through the night, I desperately tried to reconcile my promise to protect her with another, extremely important promise...the promise I'd made never to harm another innocent. I wasn't sure I could.

* * *

 **A/N: For those who are wondering, yes, Alexus uses a different SOUL Mode than Frisk, and in fact used the ability he possesses during his battle with Flowey.**

 **Brave Mode: When your SOUL is _Orange_ , you draw magical attacks towards yourself with greater speed...but if your timing is just right, you can COUNTER and send them flying back, damaging whoever attempted to harm you.**

 **Regarding the menus and stat screens...in this AU, everyone has the innate ability to read and access the menus with just a thought, including monsters. Thus, terms such as HP, LV, EXP, AT, and DF are commonplace and well understood. However, the menus are only readable by humans in areas with ambient magic, such as the Underground.**

 **Regarding Frisk's and Alexus' 'Routes'...Frisk is clearly choosing the Pacifist Route, as Alexus did not encounter any dust piles, and Toriel is fine. As for Alexus...his path isn't about 'Fight' vs 'Spare', but more about living up to his ideals, namely, to not let his sister down. The two options for him are the Oath-Keeper and Oath-Breaker Routes(There is no neutral path for him, the second he consciously takes a life from an innocent or greviously hurts someone(not necessarily through battle) his oath is broken.).**


	2. Boss Fight: Guardian of the Ruins

**Brothertale**

* * *

I woke up feeling completely refreshed, ready to face the day. As soon as I'd remembered the events of the previous, however, that enthusiasm left as quickly as it had arrived.

 _Toriel..._

Dreading every step, I left the room Toriel had provided for me and checked the house. Every room was empty, although I did snag a piece of pie for the road from the kitchen. The only place left to check was the basement. I didn't _know_ the exit to the Ruins was that way...but I had a pretty strong hunch. I closed my eyes and steeled my heart.

 _...if you don't get out of my way..._

The walk down the hallway seemed needlessly long, drawing out all my doubts.

 _...I won't be held responsible._

"So you've come." Toriel spoke as I turned the corner. She stood in front of an ornate door bearing a strange symbol...the same symbol on Toriel's dress, actually.

"You knew I would. Toriel...my sister is out there...and you yourself said monsters will try and kill her, to take her SOUL. I...I have to protect her. Please..."

Toriel slowly shook her head, even as I continued.

"...don't make me do this." I finished.

"Alexus...I am sorry. But this is what I must do." Toriel said, as she held her hands out from her body. Two blazing orbs of fire appeared in her hands, which slowly began to orbit around her body.

"If you wish to pass...you must defeat me." Toriel said in a stern voice.

"Fine! So be it! If you won't get out of my way..." I said, grabbing my bat with both hands and dropping into a combat-ready stance.

"...I'll force you aside!" I shouted, as my SOUL materialized in front of me, indicating the start of a battle.

 _'Toriel...damn it all. I'll have to try and make her stand down...but if she won't...can I do this?'_

 _ **Recommended BGM: Undertale - Heartache Re-Orchestrated by Kamex**_

* * *

 **The Guardian of the Ruins; Toriel, blocks the way.**

 **Alexus LV 5 65/55 HP**

 ***Fight Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 ***152***

I scored the first hit with a powerful swing, though I aimed away from her head, not seeking a kill blow. Strangely enough, a green bar appeared above her head for a moment, filling rapidly with red, stopping only upon reaching about a third of the way across.

 _Is that...a representation of her life-force? Similar to my 'HP'?_

Recovering quickly, Toriel unleashed an attack of magical fire, which were echoed by the orbs she had created at the start of the battle, resulting in three massive streams of flame. I did my best to dodge, but lost my footing, falling into the tail end of one of her attacks.

 ***16***

I bit back a scream of pain as I emerged from the flames, glaring at Toriel angrily.

"Damn that hurt..." I muttered, readying my bat once again.

* * *

 **Toriel sees right through you.**

 **Alexus LV 5 49/55 HP**

 ***Fight Act Item Mercy**

* * *

"Take this!" I screamed as I unleashed another attack.

 ***158***

Another third of Toriel's HP bar disappeared. Unlike the previous attack, Toriel let out a cry of pain...which caused me to hesitate for a moment.

 _...she's clearly no fighter...even if she has power, she doesn't know how to use it effectively. Why...why is she trying so hard to stop me!? Unless..._

More flames bore down on me, but this time I gave them a large berth, refusing to even allow them to approach me.

 _...maybe...I can end this without needing to fight anymore. I have to try at least...for Frisk's sake._

* * *

 **Toriel is preparing a magical attack.**

 **Alexus LV 5 49/55 HP**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Check *Talk**

* * *

"...You know Toriel...something's bothering me. You told me a decent amount of information on Asgore last night...but how do you know so much? I mean...I know the name of the leader of my nation, but I couldn't tell you a whole lot more, especially about the military. Yet you seem to know about his goals, his command structure...and I highly doubt you were telling me all you knew."

Toriel swept her hands in an arc in front of her, leaving small fireballs in their wake, as her orbs shot out additional small fireballs. All at once, they flew towards me. I briefly considered hitting them back, but thought better of it, not wanting to be hit by so many at once should I miss. Dodging quickly, I managed to avoid damage again.

* * *

 **Toriel takes a deep breath.**

 **Alexus LV 5 49/55 HP**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Check *Talk**

* * *

"So tell me Toriel...why are you so concerned about what I _might_ do, to the point you'll face me, someone you know knows how to fight...and how to kill. You aren't a warrior...so just who are you?"

"..."

Toriel chose to throw more fire at me rather than answer. Her fireballs were larger than the streams she was using before, and left behind an impact crater blazing with heat, denying me access to certain areas. She was trying to box me in...trying to end the fight quickly.

* * *

 **Toriel prepares a powerful magical attack.**

 **Alexus LV 5 49/55 HP**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Check *Talk**

* * *

"You're someone important...someone who feels responsibility. But not its King...hmm, now that leaves a single post glaringly open. I've yet to hear you mention a Queen..."

"You will be silent!" Toriel shouted at me, punctuating her statement with a fireball. I caught the fireball on my bat and sent it flying back at her, _countering_ her attack. It slammed into her and exploded, eliciting a cry of pain from her.

 ***123***

Toriel fell to a knee, her HP falling to the barest sliver. She gasped in pain, but refused to fall just yet. She glared at me, as I decided what to do.

* * *

 **Toriel seems angry.**

 **Alexus LV 5 49/55 HP**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Check *Talk**

* * *

"Well if I wasn't convinced before, I am now. You are...or were...Queen of the Underground. Somehow, you had a falling out with Asgore, and left him, and the Underground, behind. But you still feel responsible for your former subjects...you want to protect them...to give them their only hope. That's why you won't let me past, yet allowed Frisk passage. Because I'm a threat...and she isn't. I can defend myself...she can't...or rather, she won't. My SOUL is strong, and hers is easy prey! You lack the stomach to kill her yourself, so you sent them onward, letting someone else do your dirty work...and yet you judge me for having the conviction to at least act on my desires myself, even if those actions harmed others! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A HYPOCRITE!" I raised my bat, pointing it directly at Toriel.

"That's not it!" Toriel shouted back, shaking her head in denial.

"Then what!? What possible justification for your actions do you have!?"

"I...I...I don't want any more children to die!" Toriel shouted, tears in her eyes.

"...all of them. All the children who fell before. He killed them all. Is it too much to wish for...to find a way to let them escape unharmed? But...I couldn't stop them...and I couldn't stop her. I tried...but her will...her determination...she wouldn't give up, even on the brink of death. How could I refuse at that point?"

"And yet you won't allow me to protect her! If you truly cared...if you truly wanted to protect her, you would either let me go...or you would have gone with her! You can't say you want to protect human children with how you've acted!" I shouted.

"It is not just human children I wish to save! Who knows how many monster children you'll kill, under the guise of 'I had no choice'. You never even gave MERCY a chance. And so I must remain here...your presence is proof of the necessity. Without me, it would be all too easy for a human with no compunctions about killing to reach the other monsters. Because of that...I couldn't go with her."

"..."

"Heh...you may as well finish this. You clearly are able to best me in combat. Even though there's no use in fighting any more...even though I haven't even managed to inflict any damage since my first attack...I still have to try. So why don't you just take what you want through force. Surely it's no different than whatever you used to do on the surface." Toriel said bitterly.

The twin orbs of flame she had summoned at the beginning of the battle flickered and petered out. She stood up shakily, raising her hand against me once again, but it was clear the battle had worn her down, and she was visibly exhausted. I doubted she could successfully attack me at this point.

I closed my eyes. When I opened them, I didn't see the battle menu anymore. It wasn't a battle anymore. Toriel had lost, and the ball was entirely in my court. If I attacked, it wouldn't be fighting...it would be an execution. Toriel closed her eyes, expecting the worst from me.

 _Is that...what she sees me as? A merciless killer? I'll show her exactly what kind of person I am._

* * *

 **Fight *Mercy**

* * *

 _ **Recommended BGM: Respite, Undertale OST.**_

With my choice made, I felt my bat slip from my fingers and fall to the floor. The battle screen faded away, as my SOUL returned to me. The sound of my bat clattering against the stone alerted Toriel, and she opened her eyes.

"...you think this is what I want...to kill you? Toriel...you know nothing of fighting. I could have killed you with my first strike, if I had actually put any killing intent into my attack. But I didn't...I even averted my attacks from your vitals...at least...I think I did. I don't know much about monster biology. But in any case, I...I told you before...I promised her...I would change. I wouldn't hurt people to accomplish my goals anymore _. 'Take what I want through force?'_. No, there would be no quicker way to break my promise to Frisk." I glanced away from her.

 _"...And what I've already done has pushed that promise to the breaking point. If any of my attacks had been even slightly stronger...it would have meant I'd broken that promise..."_ I muttered, though when I turned back, I knew Toriel had heard me.

"Toriel...I only fought you so that...in order to...to scare you, force you aside without killing you, and finally, when everything failed, I tried to use what I've noticed and learned about you against you...but you just won't give up, will you? Heh...in that regard, you're similar to my sister...stubborn to a fault."

I let out an angry laugh.

"I'm trapped here because you won't stand aside...and I can't make you without breaking my word...and I can't convince you. I know I bear the weight of my past misdeeds in the form of LV, and there's nothing I can do about that. You truly do care about the people living beyond here, but not only them. You...could never send a child to their death. That is why you opposed them, and once they'd proven themselves to you...you let them go. But with my LV...you can't trust me not to give in to fear or anger and use violent methods...I understand that now. Because of those reasons...that is why you refuse me passage, yet allowed Frisk through. I realize...you actually do care about her. There's no way that's a lie. So it boils down to this...I can't proceed without killing you, and that's something I REFUSE TO DO!" I shouted.

"...so what will you do?" Toriel asked.

"...There's nothing left to do but pray for her safety. It's all I can do now, unless you stand aside." I said. I turned away from her, not wanting to show the pain clearly exposed by my expression.

"I hate this, you know that! You weren't supposed to be like this!" I said bitterly, refusing to look at her.

"Be like...what?" Toriel asked, confused.

"KIND! Even if you're blocking my way...preventing me from reaching my sister...you're doing it to protect others. You knew you'd stand no chance against me if I'd gone all out, and yet here you are, risking your life for the sake of others...others who would have had no idea of your sacrifice. You...you're the most selfless person I've ever met. You sheltered me, fed me, gave me a place to sleep...even though you knew we'd end up fighting. The _monsters_ in the stories I've heard would never do that. Monsters...they're supposed to be the villains, stealing away children in the dead of night, rampaging and killing machines! When I saw that flower, and when it tried to kill me...I thought the stories were true. I didn't expect to see childlike frogs and matronly goat-women after defending myself from that thing. It would have been so much easier if you were the monsters from the stories. But now..."

I gave a tired sigh which I only just held back from becoming a sob, and sat down on the stones.

"...now...I don't know what to think. I clearly can't FIGHT my way through this. Human...monster...it doesn't matter. If I take up arms against any of you...it's no different than attacking someone on the street...no one would hesitate in condemning me, myself included...my promise to Frisk is really besides the point. Honestly, I'm so tired of fighting all the time...surely there's more to life than this." I looked mournfully at the doorway, before turning away.

"I'll miss you Frisk. But...even if I hadn't made that promise...I still wouldn't harm Toriel. There's no way hurting someone like her could _ever_ be the right thing. And because of that...because of that..." I trailed off as I felt a tear fall from my face, as it sunk in that I would never see her again.

 _It's over...before it even began. Frisk...I'm sorry...I can't protect you anymore. I can't...keep my promise. Goodbye...my precious sister...please...don't die..._

* * *

 **You feel something stir within your SOUL. A difficult choice to show MERCY you have made has changed you. You feel your sins grow lighter.**

 **LV decreased.**

* * *

The words appeared in front of me so suddenly I didn't comprehend them for a moment.

"...what?"

I opened the 'menu' and checked my own status.

* * *

 **ITEM**

 ***STAT**

* * *

" **Alexus"**

 **LV 4**

 **HP 49/50**

 **AT 24(15) EXP: 106**

 **DF 28(20) NEXT: 14**

 **Gold: 73**

 **Kills: 0**

 **Weapon: Metal Bat**

 **Armour: Leather Jacket**

* * *

Toriel also seemed to notice something off, and CHECKed me.

"Your **LV**!? It's gone down?" She said in a loud, shocked voice.

"I guess it has. Is that unusual?" I asked.

"Unusual...it's _UNPRECEDENTED_. How...how could you reduce your **LV**?"

"Could it have something to do with remorse?"

"No, even if you regret your actions, they still affect you. Simple regret cannot erase their mark upon your SOUL."

"But what if you struggle with it, and consciously choose to avoid violence, even if it's the more difficult path...and especially if it ruins everything you've worked towards if you choose to do so. I chose nonviolence just now...and with that choice, closed off any chance I have to catching up to my sister. Perhaps that's why."

"Perhaps..." Toriel sighed. "For someone who is struggling against their former nature with such strength...I...may have judged you too harshly, Alexus."

"..." From her words, a faint hope arose unbidden in my chest, but my words caught in my throat before I could speak."

"Promise me you will never harm a monster Alexus."

"Toriel!? Does that mean...?" I said in surprise, fully realizing her intent.

"Promise me!" She repeated, with more force. I took a deep breath, calming myself down, before answering.

 _Such a blanket promise could be dangerous to me though. If someone discovered I was essentially incapable of fighting back if my life depended on it..._

"...I may need to defend myself or another innocent against a threat, so I will only fight so long as it's truly defense against a threat, and all other options are exhausted. I won't stand by and let anyone be hurt if I can prevent it...but I won't use needless violence. In every other case, I'll choose to show _MERCY_." I said. At first, I thought I was making the promise for her sake...until I realized it felt _right,_ like something I'd wanted, but never knew it.

Toriel looked indignant for a moment, as my words left wiggle room in the promise. However, her expression quickly turned to contemplation, and finally acceptance.

"...I can agree to that, and I understand. You have been hurt in the past, have you not?"

"...Like I said, the surface isn't always a nice place." I said.

"I understand. I will not require you to give up the ability to defend yourself...but remember what you've learned here...that monsters are people too. The taking of a life is something you should strive to avoid."

"I understand. Toriel, I promise you I will never purposefully kill a monster, save if I must defend myself or another, and they will not be dissuaded. I swear it on my SOUL." I felt a slight constriction within my chest, right where I would imagine my SOUL rested, and felt a wave of nervousness. I was still closing off options...but really, what else could I do?

"...Very well. Alexus...I no longer feel as if you pose a significant danger to the Underground, or its people. You may proceed, though I must ask you not to return to the Ruins should you do so. This is goodbye, Alexus." Toriel turned to leave, though I noticed she walked now with a noticeable limp. I turned back after a moment, my conscience not letting me leave it like that.

"Wait!" I shouted. She stopped.

"...are...you going to be ok? I wasn't exactly gentle, even if I was trying to avoid killing you. You're hurt. I could stay here until you've healed, help you around the house." I said guiltily. She shrugged.

"I have plenty of food at home, and I know you are acquainted with monster food's effects. You need to catch up with your sister. I will be fine. Thank you for your concern." Even though she refused my offer, I saw her smile. A warm feeling filled my chest, and I couldn't help but smile back.

"...Alright then. Goodbye Toriel...and...thank you. For giving me this chance...and for helping me realize what I truly want to do...and who I want to be." I said. She didn't respond, so after a moment, I turned to face the door.

 _Time to face the great wide underworld._

* * *

 **A/N: You may be wondering how Alexus can have LV without ever actually killing anyone, or if he's lying. Well, this AU operates loosely by the Undertale demo rules, which means you can gain EXP for inflicting damage, not just killing monsters. I say loosely because EXP is also tied to your killing intent. Fighting as Alexus did against Toriel, with a distinct lack of intent to kill or seriously harm, will not increase EXP unless you end up killing them, even accidentally. Under those rules, Alexus is capable of having EXP and LV, even with a kill-count of 0. This also means if he isn't careful and fights carelessly, perhaps by losing his temper, he could regain the LV he's managed to lose.**

* * *

 **STAT**

" **Alexus"**

 **LV 4**

 **HP 49/50**

 **AT 24(15) EXP: 106**

 **DF 28(20) NEXT: 14**

 **Gold: 73**

 **Kills: 0**

 **Weapon: Metal Bat**

 **Armour: Leather Jacket**

* * *

 **ITEM**

 **Scrap of Cloth**

 **Pie Slice**


	3. Dogs and Rabbits

**Brothertale**

 **A/N: I am well aware that Alexus is walking a very similar path to Frisk at this point, and thus, the story is essentially a retelling of Undertale at this point. Don't worry, that'll be changing soon. He may want to follow in Frisk's footsteps...but Alexus isn't as universally forgiving as she is. There will be plenty of conflict. In any case, here is Chapter 3: Dogs and Rabbits**

* * *

I turned away from the path Toriel had departed down and opened the ornate door. A long hallway awaited.

 _Who builds places with long empty hallways like this anyways? What possible purpose does it serve, other than making the place seem more impressive without actually being so?_

Grumbling about shoddy design and lazy architects, I continued along the path, until I reached a room reminiscent of the chamber where I had faced Flowey...and speak of the devil, look who was waiting there for me. Flowey stood right in the middle of the room, waiting for me with his phony smile which couldn't fool me anymore. I placed my hand on my bat, ready to defend myself, but didn't initiate a battle.

 _If he wants to fight, I'll make him make the first move. I promised her...I won't attack unless it's defending myself from an enemy who won't back down._

"Clever. You found a way to SPARE her, even as she tried to kill you. _How pathetic_! You are different from all the others who came before you. Unlike them...you possessed a modicum of strength even before falling down here. You've experienced the truth of this world. I thought you of all people would understand. It's _kill or be killed,_ and you know it! So why are you pretending to be like that child, losing that valuable strength in the process."

"...Pretend to be something long enough, and eventually it becomes the truth. I made a vow to someone, actually, now it's two people I've promised...and I take my words very seriously. I won't hurt people to achieve my goals anymore. In fact, I won't fight at all without a need to defend myself or others."

"And yet you've killed. Your LV tells the real story. What are you hoping to prove by changing your colors now!?"

"Excuse me, but you're mistaken. I've fought...I've hurt people. Once I brought someone to the verge of death. But I've never actually killed anyone. That was always a step too far, even at my worst. But...violence doesn't just encompass killing. Every LV, and every point of EXP I have was well earned, even if I never actually killed anyone. I accept that, and I know that I was a terrible person at those times. But people have the ability to change. Our hearts, our SOULs...they aren't immutable, my personality traits are not written in stone. The fact that I was able to reduce my EXP and LV is proof. I am not the same thug that I once was. I'm not even the same as I was when I faced you last...now, I'm just Alexus. And I have no desire to fight you again."

"So you're planning to copy your _sister_ , and proceed as though you were her? _SPARING_ everyone, trying to make friends? Becoming a _pacifist?_ But that's not really you. It's just another form of cowardice, refusing to think for yourself."

"I'm no coward. I know I need to figure out how to live on my own, without hurting people, and without simply relying on someone else to guide me. You're right, I'm no pacifist, and I never will be. I'm not like Frisk...I can't simply talk things out when I'm being attacked like she can. But that doesn't mean I need to be a killer. From now on...I'll walk my own path. For now, that means maintaining my oaths, to Toriel...and to Frisk. Luckily, ' _don't hurt anyone_ ' and ' _don't kill anyone_ ' are pretty similar promises."

"Hmph. Whatever you say, you'll eventually find someone who won't back down, a relentless killer, and on that day, we'll see if your _oaths_ and _promises_ can protect you. _**HEEHEEHEEHEE**_!"

With an awful laugh Flowey dove into the ground and disappeared. I simply continued on, not letting his words bother me...or at least not showing it. Opening the door, I was met with a blast of icy air. Steeling myself against the elements, I passed through the door, and left the Ruins behind me.

* * *

I found myself in a snow covered forest, a long path set out in front of me, and a thick treeline to either side of me. With nowhere else to go save forwards, I simply followed the path. I quickly found a small bridge crossing a small chasm, with bars across it. However, they were widely spaced, and I was able to easily cross.

 _But who built it, and why? Is there something huge back here than needs to be kept away? Or...did someone really try and build this to ward away humans...without knowing the first thing about them? I suppose it doesn't matter._

Continuing on, I found myself in a small clearing with a small sentry station...and a very familiarly shaped lamp.

 _...why is that lamp...shaped like Frisk? Heh...I suppose it could be_ _convenient if she needed to hide. But how bizarre to find something so specifically shaped._

With no one around and nothing else of interest, I continued onward, coming across another station rather quickly.

"Who's there! Did something move?" I heard a voice, as a strange dog-like monster appeared, carrying two daggers and wearing an... _odd_ selection of clothes.

"Huh? Who are you?" I asked warily.

"I knew it! Someone's there! Wait...where did you go! I'll get you!"

The by now very familiar sensation of a battle beginning engulfed me, and I sighed.

"Not again..."

* * *

 **Doggo blocks the way.**

 **Alexus LV 4 49/50 HP**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Check Pet**

 ***Guard**

* * *

I readied myself for his attack, raising my DF, as I had no idea how strong this monster was. He swung his dagger, and I realized I wasn't going to be able to dodge it, so I simply stood still and reinforced my guard as much as I could. At the last moment I realized the blade had changed to a light blue color. When it reached me, instead of harming me, it harmlessly phased right through me.

"What the heck? Can you...not hurt me?" I muttered to myself.

"Where did you go!"

* * *

 **Doggo can't seem to find anything.**

 **Alexus LV 4 49/50 HP**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Check Pet**

 ***Guard**

* * *

I continued to guard, raising my DF.

Another sweep of his dagger, and I tried to move past it, not expecting it to now cut me, though my jacket and my bat absorbed most of the force of the attack, only giving me a scratch.

 ***2***

 _What the heck is going on? Do...light blue magic attacks only hit moving targets?_

With my new theory, I continued the battle.

* * *

 **Doggo is confirming the moving object.**

 **Alexus LV 4 47/50 HP**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Check *Pet**

 **Guard**

* * *

Now that I was close to him, I reached out slowly and pet him, guessing that he might have some similarities to surface dogs. I didn't expect the outcome that happened.

"I...I'VE BEEN PET! PET...POT...PAT...PET..." He freaked out a bit, and I'd worried I'd hurt him for a moment, until I realized it was with excitement and not pain or fear. Smiling, I stood still as his attack phased through me. Doggo now seemed rather happy, and I just knew that if I chose to stop fighting, so would he.

* * *

 **Doggo has been pet.**

 **Alexus LV 4 47/50 HP**

 **Fight Act Item *Mercy**

* * *

 ***Spare** **Flee**

* * *

"You're a good guy, aren't you. I'd like to stay and chat...but I've got to go now. I've lost someone important to me, and I really need to find them."

"There was one other person...they pet me too...and if you pet me, you can't be all that bad...though you pet me without moving...I'm gonna need more dog treats." Doggo replied, as he slowly disappeared back into his station..

* * *

 **You WON! You got 0 XP and 20 Gold.**

* * *

The battle ended, and Doggo disappeared back into his sentry station. I decided to move on before he decided I was a threat again.

 _One other person...definitely Frisk._ _I'm glad I'm still on the right track._

Continuing through the icy forest, I encountered several monsters that acted like teenagers. They looked like they wanted to fight, right up until they saw my bat, after which they seemed to grow less eager for battle. Only one monster dared brave me...one monster I couldn't stand upon first seeing him.

 _ **JERRY...**_

Luckily, he was slow, so ditching him was easy.

As I walked, I encountered several odd constructions, the first of which was a mini golf course with a snow ball. I noticed that it wasn't actually spherical, but more like a gaming die, with several flat faces. This one seemed to have 12 faces. Shrugging, I kicked it through the course like a soccer ball, quickly sinking it into the hole with only minor difficulty. An orange flag rose from the hole, with a small scrap of paper attached. I read it.

 _ ***You're the kind of person who rushes fists-first through all obstacles.***_

Just underneath the words was 5 gold coins. I pocketed the money, assuming it was some type of prize, though it's words definitely didn't feel like praise..

 _Now the bloody environment is judging me!? Sheesh..._

Again, with nowhere else to go, I continued along what seemed to be the only path forwards, and soon encountered yet another oddity, a plate of spaghetti and a microwave, simply sitting outside in the open.

 _Huh...that's odd._

I quickly glanced at the note that was left beside the spaghetti, finding that it was apparently a trap for humans to stall them here. Tapping the spaghetti, I noted that it was frozen solid, and the microwave didn't work.

 _Guess whoever made this 'trap' didn't think things through...or...maybe they did. Honestly...the bars...the spaghetti...the mini-golf course!? I don't think whoever is making these 'traps' actually wants to hurt anyone. Something to keep in mind I guess._

Shortly, I came across an obstacle that actually managed to stop me...or would have if it had been active. A row of extremely sharp spikes had been set across the path, but had retracted into the ground. With no reason to remain here, I gingerly stepped over the spike-strip, not wishing to allow my foot to fall into one of the holes that housed the spikes.

The next few areas were very much the same, puzzles which controlled a spike strip, and all already solved and allowing free passage. From what I could see, the puzzles were all fairly benign and wouldn't harm anyone even if failed, so my earlier guess seemed to be holding true. As I walked, I quickly encountered another station, this one being surrounded by...snowdogs? Watching them, my only warning to what was about to happen was a quick bark. Spinning around, I was unable to avoid a confrontation.

* * *

 **Lesser Dog appears.**

 **Alexus LV 4 47/50 HP**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Check Talk**

 ***Pet Pet**

 **Pet Pet**

* * *

 _I guess...he really wants to be pet..._

I barely raised my hand, and Lesser dog got really excited. That certainly didn't stop them from attacking me however. A blue spear came at me from the right, and I froze, allowing it to pass harmlessly through me. Another spear, this one white, came from the left, which I dodged. His attacks were slow and easy to avoid, so I wasn't too worried about this fight.

* * *

 **Lesser Dog is barking excitedly.**

 **Alexus LV 4 47/50 HP**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 _Wait...aren't dogs supposed to have a really good sense of smell? Maybe..._

* * *

 **Check *Talk**

 **Pet Pet**

 **Pet Pet**

* * *

"Hey...I've lost someone important to me. I have something that belonged to them...do you think you can help me find them?" I said. Lesser Dog ran up to me, and I had to jump aside as they leapt at me full force.

"I guess that's a yes? Alright. Let me just grab that item for you..."

* * *

 **Lesser Dog is waiting patiently.**

 **Alexus LV 4 47/50 HP**

 **Fight Act *Item Mercy**

* * *

 ***Scrap of Cloth**

 **Pie Slice**

* * *

I offered the Scrap of Cloth to Lesser Dog, who sniffed at it, looked around, and took off towards the east. I smiled, and chased after him. As we did, the battle ended, due to neither of us choosing to continue the battle and thus defaulting to SPARE.

* * *

 **You WON! You got 0 XP and 0 Gold.**

* * *

I quickly chased the dog soldier through the snowy forest, taking paths that I hadn't noticed until he traversed them, bypassing several other obstacles. Finally, we reached a town. The dog sniffed for a bit, then let out a loud whine and returned to me.

"Lost the scent? Too many people I'd guess. But you did great. Thank you so much." I said, reaching out and petting him again. His tail began wagging very quickly and he raised his head against my hand...and kept rising, well beyond what should have been possible.

"Erm...alright then. I've got to go. Goodbye, and thank you for your help." I said, turning and entering the town before something bad happened to the excitable dog.

The first thing I noticed was that the town was honestly more like a small village. The monsters who I saw first looked humanoid, but upon closer inspection clearly had rabbit-like features. Disregarding the differences, I struck up a conversation with the closest one, a girl who appeared to be walking a normal rabbit on a leash.

"Hello there." I said.

"Hello. Who are you?" She asked. I contemplated lying...but realized that if I did so, I likely wouldn't get any information on Frisk's whereabouts.

 _It's risky...but I need to find Frisk. Besides...based on what I've seen so far, I'm strong enough to survive even if they try and fight me._

"...Before I answer, know that I mean no harm. My name is Alexus...and I fell into the Underground from the surface."

"...!" Her face moved to one of shock, and as she started to speak, I interrupted.

"Yes, that means I'm a human. But I have something important I need to do. Earlier, a child wearing a striped sweater must have come through here. I'm looking for her...she's my sister. I just want to keep her safe! Please...help me." I said pleadingly. Her face softened.

"There...was a child who matches that description. She arrived yesterday and stayed at the inn. I don't know where she went after that. She was human as well?"

"Yeah, but she's the kindest person I've ever met. We won't cause trouble...but I don't know if the Royal Guard will believe that, and with her safety on the line, I won't risk it. I really don't want to have to fight..so please don't turn me in."

"...I would do anything to help my brother. This is him, his name is Cinnamon. Oh, I realized I forgot to introduce myself...my name is Butterscotch. As for you...I'll keep your secret, but if you hurt anyone, I'll never forgive you, and I'll tell Undyne everything." I glanced down and raised an eyebrow at her about 'walking' her brother, but chose not to mention it, as I didn't know if it was normal in monster society.

"I don't know who Undyne is, but I assume that wouldn't be good for me."

"She's the leader of the Royal Guard, amazingly strong, and wouldn't hesitate to take you down if she knew you were human, though she spends most of her time patrolling Waterfall, and her guards are mostly in Hotland, beyond that." She said. I nodded in response.

"Understood. I already made a promise to another not to hurt any monsters, so I have no problem agreeing. Besides, there's nothing good to be gained from making enemies here."

"Alright. I believe your sister also befriended some of the locals while they were here. Most wouldn't have paid much attention to her, but the skeleton sentries would have. They live on the outskirts of town, and there's two of them. The shorter one is named Sans, he's a little lazy, but I think he knows more than he lets on. As for the taller one, he is named Papyrus. He's very eager, but I think he tries a little too hard. He might have more luck making friends if he toned things down a bit. You should ask them for more information. If they aren't home, you should check Grillby's. You also might want to buy some supplies from the store, if you plan to continue to Waterfall."

"Thank you so much. That's much more information than I'd hoped for." I said thankfully. She smiled back.

"Go. Every moment you wait makes it more likely for the Royal Guard to find you or your sister." She said. I nodded, and took off, making my way towards the skeleton's house. I hoped they'd hold the answers I sought.

I found the store quickly enough, and among their wares I found a couple things that could be useful, but I only ended up buying a few Cinnamon Bunnies, as I wasn't sure if I'd need more money down the line, and didn't want to spend everything I had. Afterwards, I kept poking around town for a bit, familiarizing myself with it's basic layout. I made my way east, quickly finding the house Butterscotch had spoken of. Steeling myself and readying my bat in case I had to defend myself, I knocked hard at the door.

"Hello! I was told that two skeleton sentries named Sans and Papyrus live here! I need to speak with you!" I shouted.

 _...But no one came._

"I guess that means I need to head to Grillby's then." I said to myself, turning away from the door. I didn't see it open slightly, nor the glowing blue eye wink into existence, which vanished as suddenly as it appeared.

* * *

 **STAT**

" **Alexus"**

 **LV 4**

 **HP 47/50**

 **AT 24(15) EXP: 106**

 **DF 28(20) NEXT: 14**

 **Gold: 159**

 **Kills: 0**

 **Weapon: Metal Bat**

 **Armour: Leather Jacket**

* * *

 **ITEM**

 **Scrap of Cloth**

 **Pie Slice**

 **Cinnamon Bunny**

 **Cinnamon Bunny**

 **Cinnamon Bunny**


	4. Boss Fight: The Diligent Sentry

**Brothertale**

 **A/N: And now...the moment you've all been waiting for. The introduction of the almighty punster, Sans. Of course, he's not the only one Alexus will meet. This is Chapter 4: Boss: The Diligent Sentry, Papyrus.**

* * *

I quickly backtracked through Snowdin, making my way directly to the bar I'd seen during my earlier explorations. Opening the door and quickly slipping inside, I was greeted with a classy _film noir_ style bar. To my left were several dog sentries playing poker, including the very helpful Lesser Dog I'd been helped by earlier. I noticed his stack of coins was much smaller than all the others, so I stepped up.

 _He did help me out a lot, who knows how long it would have taken me to clear the obsticles on the way here. I think I can spare some gold. Who knows, maybe Lesser Dog will help me out down the line._

"Hey. I never did get a chance to properly thank you for helping me earlier. You look like you're having a _ruff_ time here, so let me help you out." I placed 50G on the table and slid it over to him. He glanced up, his facial expression seeming to refuse. I insisted, pushing the coins slightly closer to him.

"I won't take no for an answer. You helped me far more than those coins ever could, it's the least I can do. Please, take them." I said. He finally gave me a huge doggy grin, taking the coins and adding them to his stack, before returning to the game. I smiled.

 ***Gave 50G, 109G Left***

"heya. don't think i've seen you round here before, and with pun skills like yours, i think it would be _im-paws-able_ to forget you." A voice addressed me from behind. I turned to greet what turned out to be a short skeleton in a blue hoodie, his face locked in a grin.

 _So you like puns do you? Dog theme...hmm...alright, I've got it!_

"Well hello there. Would you happen to be one of the skeleton sentries? I've been looking for you. I would try and guess your name, but I _furgot_ the names I was given." I replied.

"the name's Sans. if you'd like, you could have a burger while we talk. something tells me we have a lot to talk about, since you seem _diffurent_ than everybody else around here." Sans said. My eye twitched as I tried not to laugh.

"Sound's like an _offur_ I can't refuse. Though I hope the burgers are _bark-b-q'd._ " I replied, snickering.

" _pawsibly._ " He replied deadpan. I finally couldn't contain it any more, and burst out laughing, only getting it under control after we'd already sat down at the bar and he had ordered for the both of us.

"Oh man, I haven't laughed that hard in...maybe ever. So Sans, it's nice to meet you. My name's Alexus."

"it's my pleasure. so...why don't ya tell me why a human is wandering 'round snowdin looking for me and my bro? you aren't a child, surely by now you realize that the underground isn't exactly welcoming to humans." Sans asked, looking at me intently, almost as if he was...staring into my SOUL. I could have sworn his eye flashed, though it must have been a trick of the light.

 _...He's checking my LV, isn't he?_

"Before I say anything else, I'd like to make one thing clear. I know what LV and EXP are, and I know what values my LV and EXP currently are. I gained them on the surface, and since I've fallen down here, I haven't hurt anyone, and haven't gained a single point of EXP."

"you realized what i was doing rather quickly." He said, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"I was in a similar situation earlier. The caretaker of the Ruins gave me some problems after 'CHECK'ing me, but she let me go after I swore not to hurt the innocent. You weren't subtle with what you were doing there, and I wanted to avoid a misunderstanding." Sans continued to stare at me, and I met his gaze with my own. After a moment, without any words being spoken, we both broke the impromptu staring contest.

"you don't seem like you're lying, but you still haven't answered me. why are you here?" Sans asked. As he said this our food arrived. I picked up my burger, but answered before I took a bite.

"...I'm searching for my sister. She fell before me, and I came after her when she failed to return home. Her name is Frisk...have you seen her, and if so, do you know where she went?"

"she headed out for waterfall, out past my house. don't much like going there myself unless i have to though, the dampness chills me to the _bone_. Paps saw her off though, made sure she was ok. Even gave her a phone. Isn't he the coolest?"

"Snrk..." I barely managed to swallow the mouthful of food through my laughter, almost choking. I managed to get it under control, and nodding at Sans question.

"That wasn't very nice, waiting until I took a bite before setting off that pun. But don't worry, I'm going _tibia_ alright." I said after I'd recovered, cracking my own pun. I grinned and tipped my head towards Sans, who started chuckling.

"well, even if that's true...it is my job to capture humans and bring them to Asgore. i'm not sure i can justify letting two humans escape in just as many days." He said. My eyes narrowed as my entire demeanor darkened, the humor of the situation gone in an instant.

"Is this how it's going to be my entire journey? I really don't care if you're a monster or a human, it's been made abundantly clear that we're all people, regardless of our species. There's no justification for fighting or killing you...save defending my life or Frisk's. I don't want to fight anyone...but I won't let myself be killed, nor will I allow you to take Frisk's SOUL. So...is it possible for the monsters to choose a peaceful path? Or am I going to be forced to fight just to survive?" I said.

"a single human SOUL is all we need to escape this prison. i don't think anyone can stop the others now, they won't stop until they have one."

"Frisk is out there on her own. Even were I inclined to give my SOUL to help all of you, I wouldn't without ensuring her safety. So what does that make us Sans? I like your sense of humor and wouldn't mind becoming friends...but if you insist on continuing like this, then we can't be anything but enemies. The ball's in your court." I said. Sans didn't respond. I gave him another moment, hoping he was thinking it through, but when no answer was forthcoming, I let out a saddened sigh.

"I guess...that answers that. Even if that's the way it needs to be though...I did enjoy the meal, and the jokes. See you around." I said, before standing and leaving the bar. Sans turned on his stool and watched me leave. Despite his smile, he didn't look happy.

* * *

I left Grillby's deep in thought, automatically heading towards Sans and Papyrus' house, beyond which lay Waterfall and hopefully, Frisk. As I passed their house, a thick bank of fog washed over me. Suddenly, a large shadow appeared in the fog.

"NYEH-HEH-HEH...SO, ARE YOU THE ONE THE PEOPLE IN TOWN ARE TALKING ABOUT?" A very loud voice shouted from a short distance in front of me. The fog cleared enough for me to see what was blocking my path, which was a much taller skeleton than Sans, wearing a scarf and a strange torso suit that instantly made me think _armor_. I instantly decided that this must be Papyrus.

"That depends. What are they talking about?" I said.

"THAT A SECOND HUMAN HAS APPEARED. IF IT IS TRUE...THAN I HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE TO JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD."

"And how would you do that?" I said, slowly reaching to my belt where my bat was hooked.

"BY CAPTURING THEM OF COURSE."

"...well, you found me. But I can't afford to be captured. So will you let me pass without a fight, or will you try and kill me like all the rest." I said.

"WHA-...I WOULD NEVER KILL YOU. ALL I NEED TO DO IS CAPTURE YOU AND BRING YOU TO ASGORE. THEN...ACTUALLY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN THEN."

"What will happen is Asgore will kill me to take my SOUL, in order to break the barrier...and I can't afford to let that happen. Stand aside." I said, drawing my bat into a combat ready stance, in case he decided to attack.

"YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT. KING ASGORE IS FAR TOO KIND TO EVER KILL ANYONE. I WON'T ALLOW YOU TO BADMOUTH HIM LIKE THAT...I WILL CAPTURE YOU AND SHOW YOU HOW WRONG YOU ARE!" Papyrus said. As soon as he finished talking, the battle menu appeared.

 _How hopelessly naive. Wait..._

 **BGM: Bonetrousle Cover by Gooseworx**

* * *

 **The Great Papyrus blocks the way.**

 **Alexus LV 4 50/50 HP**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Check *Talk**

* * *

"Are you the one who built all the traps and puzzles in the forest?" I asked.

"INDEED, THEY ARE SOME OF MY FINEST WORK. I REALLY AM QUITE SURPRISED YOU MADE IT THIS FAR, HAVING ENCOUNTERED THE FRUITS OF MY GENIUS!"

Without warning, a truly astonishing number of bones came flying towards me...each and every one of them light blue. I stood still and allowed the attack to phase harmlessly through me.

 _Well, that explains that. I don't think this guy has a malicious bone in his body...DAMMIT SANS, I'M EVEN PUNNING IN MY THOUGHTS NOW! Ahem...It defenitly feels wrong to fight him...but then...how do I proceed? Run away maybe, and draw him towards Snowdin, lose him among the buildings and leave before he returns? But...he might not follow, and if he does...I could draw more opponents. I guess...I don't have a choice. Maybe upon taking some damage he'll lose some of his bravado and let me pass out of fear. But...I need to hold back. There's no telling how combat capable he actually is, and I don't want to risk seriously injuring him._

* * *

 **Papyrus is preparing a bone attack.**

 **Alexus LV 4 50/50 HP**

 ***Fight Act Item Mercy**

* * *

"They weren't all that troublesome...and I doubt you are either. Here I come!" I shouted, dashing forwards and unleashing an uppercut strike into his armor, though I deliberatly chose a poor time to attack, cutting my attack's power by about 25%. Despite this, almost half of Papyrus's HP was depleted.

 ***291***

 _Even holding back, that was a lot of damage. Toriel was right, monsters who don't really want to fight are very vulnerable. And it's clear Papyrus isn't fighting to kill me...but rather capture. Even if the end result of that would be the same...I can't go all out on him if he's trying to fight non-lethally. I...I can't risk another attack, a critical hit could kill him outright._

"NYEH-HEH-HEH...YOU'LL HAVE TO TO BETTER THAN THAT!"

 _Really!? One or two more strikes like that and you'd die! Is this really the time to boast? Unless...he's trying to hide his fear behind bravado. Dammit, I'm approatching this all wrong._

Again, Papyrus sent a lot of blue bones, interspersed with a few white ones, however, they were too few to make dodging them any kind of challenge. As the last bone approached, I **COUNTERED** it, sending it flying past Papyrus, but deliberately missing him.

* * *

 **Papyrus is considering his options.**

 **Alexus LV 4 50/50 HP**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Check Talk**

 **Praise *Pun**

 **Insult**

* * *

"You know I don't want to hurt you. Please stop trying to fight me before this becomes a _bone-ified_ disaster." I said. Papyrus groaned as if the joke caused him physical pain.

 **The terrible quality of your joke lowers Papyrus's DF.**

"UGH, YOU'VE MET MY BROTHER I SEE. JUST LIKE HIM NOT TO REPORT A HUMAN SIGHTING, OR TRY TO CAPTURE YOU HIMSELF."

 _Well that backfired, he's even more vulnerable now._

"...he actually treated me to lunch. He seems like a nice guy. It's too bad you monsters have a hangup about stealing human SOULs, we might have actually become friends otherwise."

"STEALING...I'M NOT STEALING ANYTHING!?" Papyrus actually sounded outraged.

"I know _you_ aren't...but that makes you a minority here in the Underground. Ever since I've fallen, I've been forced to fight for my life, lest my SOUL be taken from me by force. I know you don't believe it...but it's true."

 _Hmm...if I can break his faith in Asgore and the Royal Guard, he may let me pass without further fighting._

Papyrus sent more bones, and again, I dodged them all. I was waiting for the attack to end after the final bone vanished behind me...when suddenly, I felt the force of gravity increase on me.

 _What the..._

My formerly _orange_ SOUL was now a deep _blue,_ and my SOUL was now being dragged to the bottom of the bullet board. I jumped experimentally, and as I did so, a small white bone rushed by underneath me. Had I done nothing, it would have hit me.

 _Hmm...it seems there is a little more to Papyrus than meets the eye. That almost got me. But my strategy is already set, although with all of this extra weight, I don't think I can 'counter' his attacks any more. But I still need to keep going, regardless of whatever tricks he pulls out._

* * *

 **Papyrus looks doubtful.**

 **Alexus LV 4 50/50 HP**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Check *Talk**

 **Praise Pun**

 **Insult**

* * *

"It's because of those kinds of monsters that I need to get past you. My sister is already up ahead, and if my informations correct, the Royal Guard is stationed mainly in Waterfall and Hotland. If I don't hurry, they could kill her for her SOUL! You have a brother, wouldn't you do whatever it takes to protect him!?"

"...I...NO! UNDYNE WOULDN'T...SHE...SHE..." Papyrus trailed off, looking troubled. He saw the sincere concern I was showing for Frisk, and realized that I was telling the truth as I believed it.

"...SHE WOULD." Papyrus said slowly.

"...IS THIS WHY...SHE WOULDN'T LET ME JOIN? BECAUSE...SHE KNEW I WOULDN'T KILL A DEFENSELESS HUMAN? BUT WHY!? WHY WOULD THEY DO SUCH TERRIBLE THINGS? I CAN'T...I DON'T WANT TO BELIEVE THIS!"

Papyrus sounded deeply upset. His bone attacks came from both directions, but the previously crisp and clean attacks were now wavering and moving erraticcly, making jumping over them much more difficult, ironically enough. I took 4 hits before the attack ended.

 ***4***

 ***7***

 ***5***

 ***6***

Unlike any of the attacks I'd suffered before, these bones actually cut into my skin on impact, drawing blood, which quickly froze in the cold. I grit my teeth, trying not to let it bother me too much, though I found I needed to move carefully, or the wounds would crack open again.

 ***SPD Decreased***

 _It's working, and better yet it's all true...so why do I feel like scum?_

I tried to ignore the doubts bubbling up in my heart and focus on the battle, but the feelings wouldn't leave me.

 _...I don't need to care about him at all! All I need to do is get past him! I...I..._

As much as I tried to fight it, slowly I realized that I couldn't leave things like this. Frisk wouldn't approve. _I_ didn't approve, and I was the morally greyer one.

 _...God dammit. I can't believe this. Am I really going to play therapist to this guy?_

* * *

 **Papyrus looks doubtful.**

 **Alexus LV 4 28/50 HP**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Check *Talk**

 **Praise Pun**

 **Insult**

* * *

"Look. I understand where they're coming from. Our ancestors locked yours down here a long time ago, and you need 7 SOULs to break the barrier. I understand their anger...but taking it out on innocent kids isn't the way. I...I don't plan on fighting or killing anyone. All I want to do is make sure Frisk is safe. After that...I'll do what I can to help, hopefully without anyone getting hurt. Please..."

"HUMAN. UNLESS I CAPTURE YOU...I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD. EVEN IF IT'S TRUE...WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?"

With a wave of his hand, he sent a single waves of bones at me, but I'd quickly adapted to the weight on my SOUL, and easily jumped over them, despite their erratic movement.

* * *

 **Papyrus is trying hard to play it cool.**

 **Alexus LV 4 28/50 HP**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Check *Talk**

 **Praise Pun**

 **Insult**

* * *

 _Why is that so important to him._

"Papyrus? Why do you want to join the guard?"

"WHY? THAT'S EASY! POWER! POPULAR! PRESTIGIOUS! THAT'S PAPYRUS! THE NEWEST MEMBER... OF THE ROYAL GUARD! PEOPLE WILL FINALLY RESPECT ME..." Papyrus slowly grew less enthused as he explained. He actually looked somewhat depressed, though he was trying desperately to hide it.

 _Despite his boisterous boasting...he really just wants validation and acceptance. Maybe that's why I couldn't keep going...he's not a threat...not really. Frisk would help him increase his confidence, and I think that's a good plan. Hopefully he bounces back and decides to let me go without continuing to fight...he seems nice enough, he doesn't deserve to be depressed about others actions._

Papyrus's attacks had become less erratic, allowing me to dodge them easily once again.

* * *

 **Papyrus looks like they're feeling insecure.**

 **Alexus LV 4 28/50 HP**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Check Talk**

 ***Praise Pun**

 **Insult**

* * *

"...sounds to me like you're a little lonely, and feel unappreciated. But...you don't need to feel that way. I spoke to some people in town, and they said you're very eager...but maybe just a little overwhelming. Maybe if you tried toning things down just a bit, you'd find making friends a whole lot easier, without having to have a fight with them first. On top of that...I know your brother thinks you're very cool...and honestly, isn't what family thinks most important?"

"BUT HOW CAN THAT BE? THE GREAT PAPYRUS...WAIT, _WITHOUT HAVING A FIGHT FIRST_? DOES THAT MEAN...?"

"You are a kind person. I think the reason why Undyne wouldn't let you join wasn't because she thought you were too weak, but rather because she didn't want you to be forced to kill someone, which seems like something that goes against your true nature. You don't have a malicious bone in your body...erm...sorry about that pun, that was unintentional. In any case, I would like to be friends, if that's ok with you."

"AAGH! EVEN IN FRIENDSHIP, SANS CORRUPTION STILL SHOWS. BUT...I WILL THINK ON WHAT YOU SAID. AS FOR NOW...THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVICE...BY SPARING YOU."

 _There we go. Made it through, kept my promise...and made a new friend...kinda. At least he's letting me go unaccosted._

* * *

 **Papyrus is sparing you.**

 **Alexus LV 4 28/50 HP**

 **Fight Act Item *Mercy**

* * *

 **Flee *Spare**

* * *

The battle screen faded away, as did the fog. Papyrus simply smiled, and walked up to me.

"I WISH I HAD ANOTHER PHONE I COULD GIVE TO YOU, BUT UNFORTUNATELY I GAVE THE ONLY OTHER PHONE I OWN TO YOUR SISTER. ONCE YOU FIND HER, YOU SHOULD BORROW IT AND GIVE ME A CALL. SHE HAS MY NUMBER. OR YOU COULD ALWAYS JUST COME BACK AND VISIT."

"I will Papyrus. Good luck." I said, reaching out my hand. Papyrus didn't hesitate, quickly grabbing my hand and shaking it, before pulling me into a hug. Startled, I simply stood there and allowed him to do so. After letting go, Papyrus smiled brightly at me and left, heading back to Snowdin. I smiled myself, glad that once again I was able to maintain my oaths to Frisk and Toriel, not to mention helping the peaceful skeleton left a warm feeling in my chest.

 _But...the Royal Guard...will I be able to 'spare' them too? ...I guess it doesn't matter, I can't be afraid of pushing forwards now...Frisk, I'm coming!_

With that thought, I took off running down the path, which slowly grew warmer and more humid. A short time later, I noticed another shadow, this time among the trees. I recognized the shape.

"I didn't know we had anything else to talk about...unless you're here to fight me as well." I called to the shadow. Slowly, he walked forwards, revealing himself.

"nah, i'm _bone_ _tired_ , fighting you would be too much work." Sans said. I shook my head, even now he was cracking jokes.

"Then why are you here?" I said, my tone clearly establishing I wasn't in the mood for his _shin-anigans._

 _'...why am I am STILL punning in my thoughts?'_

Sans gave a small sigh as I refused to budge on my stance.

"i never gave you an answer to your question..." Sans gave a small shrug as he walked forwards, stopping a couple feet in front of me.

"i watched your battle against my bro. you weren't exactly nice during the first half." said Sans, seeming to go off on a tangent.

"Funny, how you don't seem to care about all the attacks he sent at me. If you're going to judge me for my actions, at least make sure you aren't a hypocrite. I didn't throw the first bone, if you recall." I said curtly.

"you mean the attacks that didn't hurt you in the slightest?"

"Only because I knew how to avoid them. He had no way of knowing that. Plus he did manage to do some rather heavy damage later in the fight. If it weren't so cold out I'd probably be bleeding out." I retorted, gesturing to the red ice clinging to several parts of my body from the blood he'd drawn. Sans shrugged again.

"i suppose that's true...but you know...something's been bugging me. you had him on the ropes twice over, first with damage, then nearly breaking his heart with words alone, until suddenly you started acting completely differently, and refused to continue fighting even when you were hurt, instead making the effort to help him out. why?"

"If you must know, I saw a little bit of myself in Papyrus. I know what it's like to feel alone and unappriciated, everything spiralling out of your control, leaving you feeling helpless...those feelings are ultimately the reason why I ended up in situations where I gained LV. I wanted to spare Papyrus that. As for before that...it was the only way I could think of to get past him without killing him. Obviously, I was mistaken, and I gladly gave up that path of attack when I realized that."

"...just keep in mind that everyone down here has reasons for acting the way they do. there's no reason to hurt them, physically or emotionally."

"...I'll try to keep that in mind, but you aren't exactly leaving me a lot of options. Not to mention that the Royal Guard isn't likely to stand down when they find me. A few scratches will be the least of my concerns."

"i think you'll find that their _bark_ is worse than their bite."

"Did you just...seriously Sans? Is this really the time!?" I said, incrediously.

"there's always time to have a joke with a friend. by the way...despite how much i'm giving you trouble over it...your fight with my brother...could have gone a lot worse. i just don't want to see you hurt any of my friends. i guess what i'm trying to say is...thank you for showing him _mercy_ in the end, even if it took ya a little time to figure it out." Sans said. With a sigh, my own expression softened. He was in the same position as me, looking out for their sibling. His attitude was understandable.

"Of course. Sans...is there anything you want to tell me to make it easier to deal with the Royal Guard?"

"...most monsters aren't exactly fighters, even amongst the guard, they don't really have the will to fight someone they like. try being friendly."

"If you say so Sans. I'd better get going."

With a sudden florish, Sans fired several green 'attacks' ( _were those hot-dogs!?)_ at me. With no opportunity to dodge, they struck me before I'd even thought of dodging.

 _ ***22***_

I was surprised to find that the 'damage' numbers were green, rather than the red I was accustomed to, and even more surprised to find my wounds had sealed themselves up. I glanced at my menu, taking in my status.

 **Alexus LV 4 50/50 HP**

"that should take care of any injuries you took." Sans said.

"What...why...how?" I was stunned and unable to form an articulate thought.

"just remember this...i'll be watching, and if you start down a bad path..." Sans's eyes suddenly appeared empty, and as I blinked, he was suddenly right in front of me, his right eye glowing blue.

" _... **you will have a very bad time.**_ " His voice, previously lighthearted and jolly, had suddenly taken on a very malevolent air. Just as suddenly as it had happened, however, Sans had returned to normal, turning away from me and walking away.

"so anyways, see you later alexus." Sans said, before disappearing back into the woods.

"Wait!" I charged after him, turning round the tree he'd ducked behind, only to find that he'd vanished.

"...Either he's lightning fast...or he can teleport. I'd believe either one honestly. There's more to that guy than meets the eye." I muttered to myself as I tried to calm down. He'd just threatened me, a literal death threat, and I felt like he had the power to back it up, though nothing he'd done indicated why. It was just a gut feeling. Slightly perturbed, I turned back to the path and continuing onward towards Waterfall.


	5. Echoes of the Past

**Brothertale**

 **A/N: You have no idea how difficult this chapter was to write(I already had large portions of the next 2 chapters written before this one was completed).I don't know why, but keeping the layout of Waterfall straight in my head is incredibly difficult, so I actually resorted to watching a LP of Undertale to re-familiarize myself to the area, rather than replay the game again. To be honest, I still don't really like it, but the thought of attempting to spend a month rewriting a part of the story that, to be honest, doesn't feel all that interesting...yeah, not really feeling it. To kind of make up for it, I combined what would have been Chapter 6 into this chapter, which feels MUCH better, especially since they were both rather short chapters on their own.**

 **Anyways...Alexus has moved on beyond Snowdin, but unlike Frisk, has not successfully completed a boss fight without using the 'FIGHT' command. How will he do against Undyne? We'll find out soon...but not just yet. Here is Chapter 5: Echoes of the Past.**

* * *

I felt much better as I left the frigid cold of Snowdin behind. Though I'd been wearing a jacket the whole time, it was really meant more for spring or fall, rather than the dead of winter. Walking alongside the river leading into Waterfall, I quickly warmed to exactly the right temperature.

After a short while, I found yet another sentry station near a small waterfall, the sound of rushing water filling the area. Glancing around, I almost expected Sans to pop up out of nowhere, but it seemed that either he wasn't in the area, or he was avoiding me. Remembering what he'd said about Waterfall made me suspect the former. Glancing around, I only saw a strange red monster with empty looking eyes, standing next to a strange flower.

"What an odd flower." I said as I looked at it.

 _"What an odd flower."_ It repeated to me, copying my voice.

"What the heck?"

"Never seen an Echo Flower before, have you?" The red monster said.

"No, I haven't. They copy what people say?" I said back.

"Yep. They repeat the last thing they hear, over and over again. Neat, huh."

"Yeah. Could be useful as a spying tool, if you were so inclined. Find out what people say behind your back."

"Never heard of anyone using them like that. Usually they're used as message carriers, if people notice them at all. Lots of people don't pay attention to them though."

 _...so if I listen to these, I might be able to track where Frisk went, by listening for her voice. Man, the Underground has some interesting things in it._

"Thank you for teaching me about these." I said sincerely.

"You're quite welcome." The monster replied. He was trying to play it off, but it was clear I'd made him quite happy.

I quickly proceeded past the sentry station, and ran past a river that had several rocks falling through it. I glanced down where the water was flowing, and very quickly wished I didn't, as I couldn't see how far down it went, the only thing I could see being a small walkway leading to a small ledge with an Echo Flower growing there. The water seemed to fall into an endless abyss, and I very suddenly felt nervous about proceeding...though of course, I wouldn't stop until I found Frisk.

As I continued into another room with a small stream covered with a small plant bridge, I felt the oh so familiar squeeze as my SOUL was forced to manifest, as I was drawn into a fight. I quickly drew my bat as...a muscular seahorse attacked me?

* * *

 **Aaron flexes in!**

 **Alexus LV 4 50/50 HP**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 ***Check Flex**

 **Intimidate**

* * *

 **Aaron 7 AT 2 DF**

 **This seahorse has a lot of HP (Horsepower).**

 **All of his attacks are harder to dodge at the bottom of the box.**

* * *

 _...did Sans somehow write this into my menu?_

"CHECK all you want! ; )" Aaron said, as he began sweating up a storm as he started showing off his physique. I dodged, not knowing if this was his 'attack', or if he was just being friendly...though the way he kept _winking_ at me felt extremely creepy. I tightened my grip on my bat.

 _Better safe than sorry._

* * *

 **Aaron is sweating bullets.**

 **Alexus LV 4 50/50 HP**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Check Flex**

 ***Intimidate**

* * *

"Back off you creep, I won't warn you again!" I said, raising my bat, though I wasn't readying a strike yet.

"You'll change your mind. ; )"

This time, Aaron rushed around the room flexing his arms wildly, forcing me to dodge him. Luckily, he was fairly predictable, and after a close call at the start of his attack, he didn't even come close to hitting me.

 _...Alright, that's enough. I am NOT interested in indulging this creep._

* * *

 **Aaron is admiring his own muscles.**

 **Alexus LV 4 50/50 HP**

 **Fight Act Item *Mercy**

* * *

 **Spare *Flee**

* * *

"Fine, forget it. I'm outta here!" I said, as I suddenly sprinted forwards past him and into the next room. It didn't seem like he followed me. As I slowed, I realized I was in a room filled with Echo Flowers. I decided to listen to the closest one.

 _"A long time ago, monsters would whisper their wishes to the stars in the sky. If you hoped with all your heart, your wish would come true. But now, all we have are these sparkling stones on the ceiling..."_

 _Well that's depressing._

Despite that, I found myself staring upwards at the glowing stones in the roof.

 _...Please be safe Frisk._

I advanced to the next room quickly, wanting to ensure my wish came true. The cave gave way to a dock, moored against a rock face. I found myself distracted by some old writing engraved onto the wall, and despite myself, found myself reading everything I could make out.

* * *

 _ **The war between humans and monsters.**_

 _ **Why did the humans attack? Indeed, it seemed they had nothing to fear. Humans are unbelievably strong. It would take the SOUL of nearly every monster...just to equal the power of a single human SOUL.**_

* * *

 _ **But humans have one weakness. Ironically, it is the strength of their SOUL. Its power allows it to persist outside the body, even after death.**_

* * *

 _ **If a monster defeats a human, they can take its SOUL. A monster with a human SOUL...a horrible beast of unfathomable power.**_

* * *

The next set of inscriptions held an engraving of a very strange looking creature.

 _Based on what it just said...that's likely a monster that absorbed a human SOUL. It looks...frightening. Is this the reason why Monsters were sealed underground?_

That was the last engraving. To the right was a river, and tied to the dock was a small raft, which I used to cross, and continue along the dock on the opposite bank...until I noticed something off about the wood below me. I knelt down, hoping it wasn't what I feared...yet when I knelt and touched a finger to the small pool I knew instantly _exactly_ what I had found. A substance that could only have one source...as Frisk was the only other human in the underground...blood.

 _...someone is going to pay for this!_

I increased my speed as much as I could while maintaining my footing, following the trail of blood stained wood as best I could. The amount she had left behind indicated she was probably only lightly injured...but the fact that she was hurt at all made me see red.

Reaching the end of the dock, I pushed through a field of marshgrass and found myself in a small room. A piece of cheese sat on a table, protected by some type of crystal.

 _...I will never really understand monsters...will I?_

I couldn't afford to let myself be distracted, so without pausing I left the room, and sprinted through the next as well, ignoring a telescope sitting in the next area. I proceeded north...and quickly found a lagomorphic man standing next to a food cart.

"Hello." I said.

"A customer!? Welcome! Would you like some Nice Cream...the frozen treat that warms your heart. Only 25G."

"...Sure, why not. I'll take one."

* * *

 ***Gave 25G, 84 Left***

 ***Received Nice Cream***

* * *

"Here you go! By the way, each purchase gets you a punch card, and you can trade 3 for a free Nice Cream."

"Thanks, but I'm rather low on gold at the moment. If I get some more, I'll try and come back."

"Really!? Thanks a bunch. Enjoy your Nice Cream."

 _Nice Cream...I wonder why it's called that._

I decided to check the item, remembering that I could check their effects without using them.

* * *

 **Nice Cream**

 **Is just as sweet as you are.**

 **Heals 12 HP.**

* * *

Beside the '12', there was a '15', but it was crossed out by a red line.

 _Just as nice as I am? And what's with the crossed out number? Is that what this item is supposed to heal...wait. I have 4 LV...3 more than the baseline...and this heals 3 HP less. I see. If I manage to lower my LV even more, it'll grow more effective at healing._

I backtracked out of the room and headed south, walking along the only path I could see leading forwards. This place felt darker than the earlier parts of Waterfall, and I walked cautiously, my hand hovering over my weapon, just in case. A few times some monsters looked like they wanted to cause trouble, but just like in Snowdin, backed off upon seeing my weapon. As I reached the end of the room, I saw another set of glyphs.

* * *

 _ **The power to take their SOULs. This is the power that the Humans feared.**_

* * *

 _...but did any Monsters even take a SOUL? If they had, wouldn't they have been powerful enough to prevent them from being sealed down here?_

Passing the glyph, I entered the next area, a wide open pool of water with a single passage of water.

 _Now if I were to set an ambush...and I could live underwater...this would be the place to do it._

I heard a splash as a tentacle emerged from the water.

 _NOPE NOPE NOPE!_

I sprinted as fast as I could, as whatever monster lay in wait called out to me. I ignored them as I reached the end. I stopped to catch my breath...and felt a familiar squeeze as I was caught off guard.

* * *

 **Shyren approaches you timidly.**

 **Alexus LV 4 50/50 HP**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 ***Check**

* * *

 **A shy monster, but for some reason, she seemed drawn to you.**

* * *

Unlike most other monsters, she didn't make any aggressive actions at all, instead only humming a few notes. Her magic formed them into projectiles, but they completely missed the bullet board, and it seemed that was deliberate.

 _Wait...that melody..._

* * *

 **Shyren is awaiting your response.**

 **Alexus LV 4 50/50 HP**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Check *Hum**

* * *

I hummed the lullaby I used to sing to Frisk when she had trouble singing. Shyren smiled and sung along. She had to have known the song, which meant...

* * *

 **Shyren is singing a beautiful song.**

 **Alexus LV 4 50/50 HP**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Check Hum**

 ***Talk**

* * *

"That song...you must have learnt it from my sister, didn't you?" I said softly.

A slow nod was my answer. She smiled shyly.

"Which way did she go?" I asked.

Shyren waved off to the right.

"Thank you so much." I said thankfully.

Shyren responded with the biggest smile she'd shown so far, and without warning the battle came to an end. Shyren had **SPARED** me without me having to do anything more.

* * *

 **You WON! You gained 0 XP and 25 Gold.**

* * *

 _That was definitely Frisk's influence. Though...this is the first monster who recognized me as a human, made the connection to Frisk...and chose to treat me kindly, rather than attacking. I guess Frisk must have made a special effort to befriend them. Someday...I want to talk to her again..._

Leaving Shyren behind, I advanced to the right, finding more glyphs.

* * *

 _ **This power has no counter. Indeed, a Human cannot absorb a Monster's SOUL. When a monster dies, it's SOUL disappears. And an incredible power would be needed to take the SOUL of a living monster.**_

* * *

 _ **There is only one exception. The SOUL of a special species of monster known as a "Boss Monster". A Boss Monster's SOUL is strong enough to persist after death...if only for a few moments. A human could absorb this SOUL, but this has never happened. And now it never will.**_

* * *

 _...the Barrier requires 7 human SOULs to break. Wait a minute...Toriel told me that only a single human SOUL was needed to pass through. Why hasn't Asgore simply absorbed one of the SOULs he has, and claimed one from someone on the Surface. Is he...afraid? Or maybe...maybe Asgore is one of these 'Boss Monsters', and doesn't want to risk a human claiming his own SOUL. That would make him even more cowardly!_

My hand clenched into a fist as I realized what this meant.

 _So instead...he awaits CHILDREN to come to the mountain, a mountain that only the most broken and hurt would dare to climb...and ensures they die...all so he doesn't have to get his hands dirty!? My promises to Toriel...and to Frisk..._

 _..._

 _...They DON'T apply to him, should my guesses be correct. Murdering depressed and lonely children...is far from being innocent!_

I angrily stormed past the glyphs...only to immediately find myself calming as a peaceful song played. Directly ahead was a small statue, playing a mournful melody. In the statues hand was a small umbrella. I remained in the room for a few moments, allowing my anger to ebb away somewhat. It would do no good to me here anyways, Asgore was still a long ways off.

 _...I like this song. It's...peaceful. Actually...it kinda reminds me of Frisk's lullaby._

I continued past the statue, grabbing an umbrella from a can full of them as it started to rain.

 _How does that even work underground anyways?_

I soon passed the rain and found myself in front of a very steep ledge. Luckily, I could reach the top, and pulled myself up. I found even more glyphs.

* * *

 _ **The humans, afraid of our power, declared war on us. They attacked suddenly, and without warning.**_

* * *

 _ **In the end, it could hardly be called a war. United, the humans were too powerful, and us monsters, too weak. Not a single SOUL was taken, and countless monsters were turned to dust...**_

* * *

 _...no wonder I'm being attacked so much. What reason do monsters have to trust any human. A preemptive strike...from a strategic standpoint, the strategy of our ancestors was sound. But...how many innocent lives were lost, because of that fear._

 _..._

 _Fear. Some would say...it's the opposite of_ _ **BRAVERY**_ _. Those people are wrong. I learned the true meaning of_ _ **BRAVERY**_ _long ago. It's loving something or someone so much that losing it would break you...yet refusing to let that knowledge control you or your actions._

 _..._

 _Frisk is the only reason I can be called brave._

 _..._

 _No matter what...despite everything our ancestors have done...I will not let them take it out on Frisk! But I also won't let their actions go unanswered._

* * *

 ***The thought of protecting your sister from the justified anger of Monster-kind...fills you with BRAVERY.***

* * *

With my **BRAVERY** kindled and only a single path forwards, I charged ahead onto a wooden bridge, which had an extremely weird layout. As I walked, I found more and more bloodstains, as well as small holes that looked like something had been thrown into...or _through_ the bridge.

 _Frisk!? Please be ok!_

I ran faster and faster as the bloodstains continued to appear, almost failing to realize that the bridge came to an abrupt end. I skidded to a halt.

 _What the heck happened here..._

A loud **CRACK** echoes through the air, and as I turned back, I saw a blue spear strike the bridge behind me. Before I could react the section of bridge that I was standing on started to give way.

"No way! I've got to..."

The bridge gave one last shake, and completely collapsed, sending me hurtling into the darkness below.

"NO!" I screamed as primal fear washed over me.

Just before darkness overtook me, I felt something strange strike my SOUL, and a blue glow surrounded me.

* * *

Swirling white lights and dark wisps danced around me.

A strange voice echoed around me

...and yet I couldn't understand.

Even so...their voice burned into my SOUL.

I wouldn't forget what they had said.

Even if it was gibberish.

 _ **NUVYEYAVNUO. H UYJ IHJU PHA HIIYHEYR DU VPY LDHER...DUY UYCYE LYTDEY AYYU. VPNA VNMYWNUY APDFWR IEDCY VD LY CYEK NUVYEYAVNUO. PMM...JPHV RD KDF VPNUB?**_

* * *

 **Recommended BGM: Truth and Dreams, Breath of Fire 4 OST.**

"Ungh...my head. Where...am I?" I slowly pushed myself to my feet as I came to.

"...what the heck...is going on?" I said in confusion, as I took in my surroundings. Everything around me was in black and white...and I _recognized_ where I was, which immediately tipped me off that something was wrong.

"This is...why am I at the orphanage!? Did I somehow get back to the surface? No, that doesn't make any sense. What's going on?" I looked around, trying to see if there was anyone around, and quickly caught sight of Frisk drawing in the corner...but again, something was wrong. They were much smaller than I remembered, looking like they were 5 or 6 years old again, instead of 12.

"Frisk?" I called out. Frisk looked up from the paper they were drawing on.

"Howdy Lex, what's goin on?" Frisk said, smiling.

 _...I'd forgotten she used to have trouble with my name when she was really young, so she just called me Lex. And after enough time...it became a nickname that I would only tolerate from her._

"Do you know how we..." I cut myself off in surprise as a younger _me_ walked out of my body, towards Frisk. This new 'me' couldn't be more than 8. Her gaze followed my double instead of me, and she completely failed to react to my voice.

 _ **"Nothin much. Whatya drawin Frisky bits?"**_ The younger me asked.

"I'm coloring this picture from the picture book. They let me have one today." Frisk said.

 _ **"Wow, you haven't drawn outside the lines once."**_

"Well, yeah. If you aren't going to do it right, then you shouldn't do it at all. That's just common sense." Frisk said.

 _ **"You're a bit of a perfectionist, aren't ya. What if ya make a mistake?"**_

"Then I'll erase it and start again. I want it to be perfect." Frisk said. My double chuckled.

 _ **"Ok then. As long as you're having fun, I won't stop you."**_

"Hey Lex?"

 _ **"What's up?"**_

"...Love ya." Frisk said quietly. My double turned around, and being greeted by her outstretched arms, knelt down and hugged her.

 _ **"Love ya too...you little sap."**_ My double said. As he let go, Frisk pulled him back. My younger self looked at her questioningly, clearly wondering why she was being so clingy.

"...You aren't going to leave me, are you?" She asked.

 _ **"What's this about...oh. You're worried about that couple who asked me some questions yesterday."**_

"..." Frisk didn't answer, though the way she averted her gaze from young me said everything that needed to be said.

 _ **"...you've got nothin to worry 'bout. I told them right away that you and me are a package deal. They said they didn't want both a boy and a girl, so I told em I wasn't interested."**_

"But you could have been adopted! You've told me how much you hate it here...how much you wish that we lived in a real house. I thought you'd leave the first chance you got."

 _ **"You really are a dummy, aren't you. First off Frisk, the key word there was 'we'. I've told you before...you're the most important person in the whole wide world to me. I don't care if I have to stay here forever if leaving means I need to leave you behind! I won't leave you...I'll always be there to protect you."**_

"...you promise?"

 _ **"Promise."**_

"...pinky swear?"

 _ **"You're such a kid Frisk. Alright fine, pinky swear."**_ My younger self looped his pinky in with Frisk's and shook it.

"I was...scared I was goin to be on my own. I thought...maybe if I made you somethin nice, you wouldn't leave."

 _ **"Wait, that picture's for me?"**_ My double asked. Frisk nodded.

 _ **"Aw...thanks Frisk. I'll definitely put it somewhere safe when it's done."**_ He said.

 _You know...I think I still have that old picture. Yeah...I put it in my scrapbook. Man...this is really nostalgic. But...why am I here? I fell from the broken bridge in Waterfall, so why..._

I slowly realized what was going on.

 _...I hurt myself, didn't I. I must be unconscious, and I'm stuck in my memories until I wake up. But why am I seeing this memory of all things? Is it...because of the promise I made to her that day? I...really wasn't very good at upholding my promise, was I. She climbed the mountain...a mountain where people are said to disappear. I know the legends...yet I never really asked myself what that meant. Frisk climbed up the mountain with the full knowledge that she would probably disappear. Was I...not a good enough protector, who felt the need to run away from the problems I failed to deal with? Or did I smother her, protecting her too much, forcing her to try and escape from 'me'? Or maybe it had nothing to do with me at all._

 _..._

 _I really don't know..._

 _..._

 _I'll have to ask her why she climbed the mountain after I wake up._

Frisk continued coloring in the corner, and as my younger self walked out of the room, everything faded away.

 _That makes sense. If I'm not here...how could I possibly remember it?_

* * *

I followed my double through the doorway, but instead of seeing the next area of the orphanage, I saw an alleyway. My double had also grown, and was about 14, though looking at myself from an outside perspective, I would guess I was closer to 17.

 _Wait...this is...oh god no, please not this. I don't want to see this ever again!_

I tried to turn away, but I found myself unable to avert my eyes, forced to watch, as several older teens and a couple young adults guided my double towards a bound man kneeling on the pavement.

 _ **"So what are we doing here? Who's he?"**_ My double asked curtly.

"This guy owes us a lot of money, and he's falling behind on his payments. So he needs a little... _lesson_...in why ripping us off is a bad idea.

 _ **"And this concerns me because...?"**_

"Well, we're gonna see if you've got the guts to run with us. The last thing we need is someone to suddenly lose their cool and bail on us, or worse, rat us out. So let's see if you've got what it takes. Teach him a lesson Lex."

 _ **"...It's Alexander, or Alex if you really must shorten it."**_ I said.

"Aw, did it bother you _Lex_? Well...what're you gonna do about..." He stopped talking as my fist slammed into his jaw, sending him stumbling back into a wall. Blood starting dripping from his mouth.

 _ **"Strike two asshole. I said it's Alex, but you, you've lost the right to even call me that. It's ALEXANDER, or instead you can have a nice little nap on the pavement followed by a trip to the hospital with a broken arm. Take your pick."**_

"You damned brat, you're dead!" He tried to charge my younger self, only to have one of the others grab him from behind.

"Easy Ty, that's enough. You asked for it, and he didn't back down when you challenged him. You think you'd get any different from any of us?"

"I'm not letting him get off that easy!" He tried to throw a punch, only for the guy who'd grabbed him to trip him and slam him into the ground.

"I said that's ENOUGH. Remember who's in charge. You've got a problem, then you can leave, and don't bother coming back! As for you Alex, you should hurry up and deal with him." The guy picked himself up, glared at my double, and walked off a small distance.

 _ **"Fine."**_

My double approached the bound man, who was shaking in fear.

"Please...I'm working on it, just give me some time! Please!"

 _ **"...you had time, and you squandered it. Sorry...but this is how things work around here."**_

Although I couldn't actually look away, I was able to focus on the others, and mostly ignore my younger self attacking the bound man. Mercifully, he fell unconscious only a couple minutes into the 'lesson'.

 _...This is when I gained my LOVE...isn't it. Hell, with how badly he was injured...how badly **I** hurt him...I'm surprised he lived. He was in the hospital for months afterwards...I never even found out what happened to him after that._

As my double finished and was congratulated by the thugs I'd once tried to affiliate myself with, all I felt was shame and regret.

 _No matter how bad things were for me and Frisk...how could I ever have believed this was the way to fix things? I was such an idiot..._

* * *

I followed my double out of the alley...already knowing what memory I'd find myself in next. I had just entered the small room which contained the entrances to both my own and Frisk's bedrooms, at about 1 in the morning.

 _I was going to do my laundry so Frisk didn't see the bloodstains...of course, I never suspected she might stay up and wait for me._

"Lex!? You're back. What were you doing out so la...oh my god, you're covered in blood! What happened!? Where are you hurt!?" Frisk said, panicked, as I caught sight of her sitting up on the couch near the corner.

 _ **"Frisk!? I...I'm fine Frisk, it's nothing. What are you still doing up?"**_

"I was waiting for you. And don't lie to me! With that much blood, you can't possibly be fine..."

 _ **"Frisk, this isn't my blood. I'm perfectly fine."**_ **I said.**

"But...then why...how...what did you _do!_ " Frisk shouted.

 _ **"Frisk, keep it down. I don't want any of the other kids or the matron to wake up."**_

"...please tell me...you were defending yourself...and don't you dare lie to me." Frisk said. All my double could do was avert his eyes as he answered.

 _ **"...I'm doing what I have to to make a better life for us. It's only a few more years until I'm forced to leave here. I'll need money in order to get a place to live...and get you out of here too. With the group I've joined, I'll be able to do that. It's all for the sake of a better future for us."**_

"But at what cost!? No...this isn't right. You...if you keep doing this...then you aren't a good person, not anymore! I want no part of your _'future'_!" Frisk said, her eyes blazing in fury, something I'd never experienced before this. My double actually took a step back from her, her anger was so strong.

 _ **"But...Frisk..."**_

"Stay away from me!" Frisk said, as she gathered a blanket and pillow from her room and headed for the door.

 _ **"Where are you going!?"**_

"I'm going to sleep in the common room. I don't want to be here right now."

 _ **"You don't need to...please wait!"**_ My double started to go after her, grabbing her arm in desperation. Frisk spun around and slapped my double hard, glaring at him. Both past me and current me froze in position, though my double had raised a hand to his face is shock that Frisk had actually _hit him_.

 _I'd forgotten how scary Frisk can be when she's really angry._

"...if you care at all anymore about what I think...then you'll leave me alone and let me go right now." Frisk said slowly and quietly. My double didn't react except to release her arm as she closed the door quietly behind her. My double simply stood silently, staring at the door, before slowly sinking to his knees, as tears began to fall freely down his face. I very clearly remembered how Frisk's rejection has shattered me.

 _...and this is the moment when I began to change. It really hurt at the time...but she did the right thing. If she had stayed...if I'd believed I could continue on this path and keep her in my life...then I would never have changed. I would be someone completely different...I still would have chased after her...but MERCY would have been a foreign concept. Toriel...Papyrus...neither of them would be alive right now. And with what Sans has already said to me...maybe I wouldn't be either._

* * *

The scene changed again. It was near dawn, and I found myself in the common room of the orphanage. Frisk was asleep on one of the tatty couches, and she was just waking up. My double slowly walked into the room.

"I told you to le..."

 _ **"I'm sorry Frisk! Please...just give me a chance to talk to you...please?"**_

It looked like Frisk was going to refuse...until she saw the tear stains running down my doubles face. Her face softened...but only slightly. It was clear she was still immensely angry at me.

"...fine. What is it." She said curtly.

 _ **"...I spent all night thinking about this...what you said...everything...and you're right. I...I'm not a good person right now. But I know I can be. Nothing is worth losing you...so I'll force myself to change...starting with this. I won't hurt anyone anymore...even if it isn't through fighting. If I'm forced to fight I will...but I won't start them, and I'll do my best to minimize what damage I 'do' inflict. I promise. I'll find another way to help you out of this miserable place...just please...don't leave me...all alone...please..."**_ My doubles voice grew weaker and more pleading as he finished talking, not even looking at Frisk, shame and regret clear on his features.

 _God...I looked so miserable and pathetic then, didn't I?_

Frisk put her hand on my doubles shoulder. He glanced up at her, tears running down his face.

"...Lex...you didn't need to do something so drastic...this place isn't so bad that it justifies killing people!" Frisk said. My doubles eyes widened, as he threw his hands up in denial.

 _ **"I didn't kill anyone! I...I just...roughed him up and took him to the hospital after."**_ Again, my doubles voice grew quiet as he recounted his actions. He averted his eyes from Frisk.

"That doesn't make it ok." Frisk admonished.

 _ **"...I know."**_ He said. Frisk looked like she was deep in thought for a moment, before she let out a theatrical sigh.

"...I guess I'll have to stay with you. Who else would want to share a room with a moron like you anyways." Frisk said, smiling slightly.

 _ **"Hey, that's uncalled for."**_ My double halfheartedly complained, though he was smiling. Despite his smile, tears continued to fall. Frisk wiped them away and gave him a hug.

"Just...don't hurt people anymore Alexander, and we won't have any problems." Frisk said, My double nodded.

 _"Thanks...for giving me a chance."_

"Anytime brother. Now...let's forget about this and go get some breakfast."

 _"Sounds good sis...um...can you maybe...if you're going to use my full name...can you call me Alexus instead?"_

"Um, I guess...why?"

 _"...I really do want to change. So...I'd like to mark that change, and I decided if you did forgive me, I'd start with that. I thought about changing things entirely...but I still want you to be able to call me Lex if you want...so..."_

"It's no problem at all _Alexus_." Frisk said. She grabbed my doubles hand and pulled him out of the common room.

 _Right...that's when I abandoned my old name, starting with a clean slate...sort of. I actually legally changed it a few days later too, didn't I._

Since my double had left, the room faded away, leaving me floating in a dark grey void.

 _Alright...I guess that's that...so why haven't I woken uuuuu-_

* * *

My train of thought was disrupted as I fell back into darkness...and came to, lying on a bed of flowers surrounded by water. Various bits of garbage and trash flowed through the water and alighted on the banks all around, leaving only one real path to leave the area.

"...my head really hurts. Ungh...so does everything else..." I said slowly, as I forced myself to my feet. I opened my status window to check myself over, and was not encouraged by what I saw.

* * *

 **STAT**

* * *

" **Alexus"**

 **LV 4**

 **HP 2/50**

 **AT 24(15) EXP: 106**

 **DF 28(20) NEXT: 14**

 **Gold: 309**

 **Kills: 0**

 **Weapon: Metal Bat**

 **Armour: Leather Jacket**

* * *

 _Geez, that fall took a lot out of me. Hmm..._

* * *

 **ITEM**

* * *

 **Scrap of Cloth**

 **Pie Slice**

 **Nice Cream**

 **Cinnamon Bunny**

 **Cinnamon Bunny**

 **Cinnamon Bunny**

* * *

 _I think now is a good time to eat a couple of these 'Cinnamon Bunnies', considering a pointed glance might just finish me off._

I slowly ate the sugary treats, letting the magic within heal and soothe my body.

* * *

 ***Recovered 22 HP.**

 **Alexus LV 4 24/50 HP**

* * *

 ***Recovered 22 HP.**

 **Alexus LV 4 46/50 HP**

* * *

 _Using another Cinnamon Bunny is a waste...so how about Nice Cream._

* * *

 ***Have a wonderful day.**

 ***Recovered 12 HP.**

 **Alexus LV 4 50/50 HP**

* * *

After finishing off the Nice Cream, I felt well enough to venture from where I'd fallen and figure out where Frisk had gone. I trudged off in the only direction available to me.

* * *

A certain skeleton sat up and emerged from his hiding spot overlooking the golden flower patch in the dump, from which a certain human had just awoken and departed.

"...i hope your plan is worth it kid. it's been hard to keep undyne off of him, and i almost didn't catch him in time when he fell...but i guess that's all _water under the bridge._ if it brings an end to all of this, it'll be worth it." Sans said, mostly to himself, as he disappeared without moving.

* * *

 **A/N: I can't use Wing Dings here, so I chose instead to use a cryptogram in place of it. Here is the translation for the 'mysterious text'(you get three guesses as to who was speaking, and the first two don't count).**

 **"Interesting. A new pawn has appeared on the board...one never before seen. This timeline should prove to be very interesting. Hmm...what do you think?"**


	6. Boss Fight: An Undying Hero

**Brothertale**

 **Here is one of the scenes I was most looking forward to writing, the second I had the idea of this story. All I will say to you is...keep an open mind, and even if something doesn't make sense yet, or seems to cause unavoidable problems...it will be made clear in time. Here is Chapter 6: An Undying Hero.**

 **I sincerely apologize for the horrendous wait...all I will say is life can be a real bitch, a lot of things happened that left me in a bad place, and I'm only now just crawling out of the hole I was in, and am just regaining the drive to write.**

 **Also, it was pointed out to me that I made a slight continuity error, regarding Frisk's phone. For some ineffable reason, I thought Papyrus gave Frisk the phone, when in fact it was Toriel. It doesn't make a whole lot of difference in the long run, so I've decided not to edit it out(the fun with AU's is you get the perfect cop out for errors like these), but I would like to thank the reviewer who pointed it out.**

* * *

I advanced forwards through the murky water, sidestepping piles of garbage and an oddly moving dummy, and quickly found myself back on sturdy ground. There were several paths for me to choose from, though two of them seemed to lead only to houses that were...oddly shaped, to say the least. However, I didn't really want to risk angering the owners by poking around, so I instead looked off to the right, which led deeper into Waterfall.

Heading out, I quickly encountered a cave and another path. Since I wasn't sure where exactly I was going, I decided the cave would be the first place I checked.

"Woah there! I have some neat junk for sale. What are ya looking for?" An old looking monster that more that slightly resembled a turtle crossed with an old-timey explorer. He was operating a shop, so I looked around, and quickly decided that only a few things were worth buying.

"...How about a couple of these?" I said, holding up the _oddest_ shaped apples I had ever seen.

"Ah, a pair of _Crab Apples_. That'll be 50G for the two of them." He said. I handed over the coins and took the items, adding them to my pack.

"I suppose it's slightly rude to ask this after failing to when I entered, but...who are you?" I asked.

"The names Gerson. I've been around here for a long time. Maybe too long. Heh, studying history is pretty easy after you've lived through it. Wa ha ha!"

"Wait...how long ago exactly? Like...before the Human/Monster War?"

 _I could get a little more information from him, since he doesn't seem to realize I'm human._

"Sonny, I _fought_ in that war. What are they teaching you kids in school these days."

"Not exactly a lot, especially to a bunch of orphans no one cares about." I muttered. If Gerson had heard me, he chose not to respond to that.

"Ok...how about that symbol on the wall?" I continued after a moment of awkward silence.

"That there is the Delta Rune, the symbol of our kingdom. The kingdom...of Monsters. Great name huh? It's like I've always said. Ol' King Fluffybuns can't name for beans!"

 _King Fluffybuns? What a ridiculous nickname, especially for a child killing monster!_

"So why was that symbol chosen to represent the kingdom?"

"That symbol actually predates written history. The original meaning's been lost. All we know is the triangles represent us monsters below, and the circle with wings represents...something else. Most people say it's the 'Angel' from the prophecy."

"Prophecy?"

"Yeah, the prophecy. Legend has it, an 'angel' who has seen the surface will descend from above and bring us freedom. Lately however, people have been taking a bleaker outlook, calling the winged circle the 'Angel of Death'. A harbinger of destruction, waiting to 'free' us from this mortal coil. Personally, I just think it looks neat. Wa ha ha."

"You're pretty laid back old man."

"I suppose I am. My fighting days are long behind me, though it seems yours are just beginning."

"I wish they weren't. I...don't want to hurt people." I said. Gerson only smiled sadly at me.

"No one decent ever does."

 _I guess that means I'm only 'decent' because of Frisk then._

"...goodbye Gerson." I said, as I turned to leave.

"Goodbye. And be careful out there. Undyne's completely worked up into a frenzy. She won't be kind to someone such as yourself."

"Such as me?"

"...I told you I fought in the war. I _know_ what a human looks like." Gerson said quietly. I spun around, my bat already in my hand, only to slowly relax my grip when I realized he hadn't made a move to attack.

"But then why...didn't you..." I said slowly.

"Because you lack significant killing intent...as did the child who passed through earlier, although yours is slightly stronger than hers was. I assume you are searching for her?"

"...yes. She's my sister, and the reason I came here in the first place."

"You remind me of myself, in my younger days. Keep her safe...but don't lose yourself in doing so young man."

"...I won't. Thanks Gerson." I turned and left the store.

"Head left! Going straight will take you back to Snowdin if you choose to take the River Person's boat." He called after me.

"Thanks!" I called back, and obeyed his instruction, continuing deeper into Waterfall. The first thing I noticed was yet another glyph.

* * *

 _ **Hurt, beaten, and fearful for our lives, we surrendered to the humans. Seven of their greatest magicians sealed us underground with a magic spell. Anything can enter through the seal, but only beings with a powerful SOUL can leave.**_

* * *

 _Magicians? Humans can wield magic too? Could...I learn magic, if I tried, and had a good teacher?_

I continued onward, reading all the glyphs as I reached them.

* * *

 _ **There is only one way to reverse this spell. If a huge power, equivalent to 7 Human SOULs, attacks the barrier...it will be destroyed.**_

* * *

 _...hence the child-killing._

* * *

 _ **But this cursed place has no entrances or exits. There is no way a human could come here. We will remain trapped down here forever.**_

* * *

 _Allow me to tell you how that is wrong. Exhibits 1-6, the Human SOULs Asgore already has. Exhibits 7-8, Frisk and myself. Exhibit 9, the FREAKING HOLES ON THE MOUNTAIN THAT LET SUNLIGHT DOWN HERE, NOT TO MENTION US!"_

I quickly found myself in a maze of darkness, only barely lit by strange blue mushrooms, crystals, and glowing grass. I quickly navigated the paths, using the crystals as I came across them for additional light.

 _I can only imagine how much it would suck if you needed to light the way yourself._

After emerging from the darkness, I was forced to wade through a couple pools of water, though luckily the water wasn't high enough to flood my boots. Right at the end of the pool was another glyph.

* * *

 _ **However...there is a prophecy. The Angel. The One who has seen the surface...They will return..and the Underground will go empty.**_

* * *

 _That...is ominous sounding. It doesn't say 'go free', or 'escape'...but...'go empty'. Gerson mentioned that people think the prophecy might be the end of monsters._

I felt a shiver go down my spine...an almost primal reaction to the words I'd read.

 _Why...what is this feeling...of dread._

Shaking it off, I continued forwards, towards what appeared to be a massive cliff with a cave.

"You won't get away from me this time!" A strong voice echoed through the cave...followed by a scream a moment later. A scream...I recognized.

 _That's...FRISK!_

Adrenaline coursed through my body as I sprinted into the next chamber. I immediately spotted Frisk, as well as a massively armored monster. With a sudden movement, countless blue spears hurtled towards Frisk from every direction, who was rooted in place, eyes wide.

Without knowing how I did it, I drew my SOUL from my body, bringing up my battle menu.

 **BGM: Spear of Justice - Instrumental Mix Cover by Vetrom**

* * *

 **Do something!**

 **Alexus LV 4 50/50 HP**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Check *Defend**

* * *

 ***Frisk**

* * *

With no hesitation I jumped between Frisk and the monster, who had to be Undyne, my bat gripped in my hands.

 **"I WON'T LET YOU!"**

 ***COUNTER***

Every single spear that came towards Frisk was countered, deflected harmlessly away, as I shifted around her to react to the barrage of attacks. But I refused to miss even a single one, and reacted nearly instantly as soon as a spear appeared. In fact...

 _Why...does it feel like I've done this before?_

When the last spear came flying towards me, instead of knocking it away, I grabbed it out of the air, inverted my grip on it, and threw it back at Undyne. Unprepared, she didn't even have a chance to dodge.

 ***381***

I smiled in satisfaction as over a fifth of her HP bar depleted. With the amount of damage I'd dealt and the amount that had depleted, I estimated her total HP to be between 1400 and 1600.

 _I think I can take her down._

"Alexus!?" Frisk said, surprised. I turned slightly to smile at her, only to immediately frown, seeing several blood-colored stains on her sweater.

"Frisk, I want you to run away. I'll take care of things here."

"But..."

"I wasn't asking. We'll talk about why you climbed the mountain later. For now, I just want you safe. Look at yourself, you're badly hurt. Go somewhere and find some way of healing up. And don't worry about me, I'll catch up to you soon enough."

"...I thought I took care of you earlier, knocking down that bridge. You must be tougher than you look." Undyne said. I turned towards her and gave a feral grin.

"You picked the wrong person to mess with. You attacked and nearly killed me, but worse than that...You hurt Frisk. I could have forgiven an attack on me, after all, I'm clearly a much greater threat, and it's not like I'm 100% innocent, my LV is proof enough of that. But you attacked my sister, an innocent child, who couldn't hurt a fly, let alone any monsters. I WON'T FORGIVE YOU FOR THAT!" I shouted, as I tightened my guard.

"...Alexus." Frisk said quietly from behind me.

"Frisk?"

"...don't kill, and don't be killed. Promise me that, and I'll go without a problem." She said. I smiled.

 _Not a problem, since that's what I planned from the get-go. Wait...that's a modified version of what Flowey said..._

"...I promise. Now, get somewhere safe. Sans will probably take care of you if you ask."

"Thanks, but I know where I should go next." Frisk said, a mischievous smile on her face.

* * *

 **Undyne attacks!**

 **Alexus LV 4 50/50 HP**

 **Frisk LV 1 5/20 HP**

* * *

 ***Fight Act Item *Mercy**

* * *

 ***Undyne**

* * *

 ***Frisk has fled the battle.***

"Oh no you don't you little punk!" Undyne shouted, trying to pursue.

 ***192***

Undyne staggered back from the force of my strike, as I'd quickly shifted myself to cover Frisk's retreating form. I frowned, however, upon realizing she had run towards Hotland instead of back into Waterfall. Regardless...

"You won't get past...I'm your opponent now! Get ready, because HERE I COME!"

"FINE THEN! I'LL JUST TAKE YOUR SOUL INSTEAD. NYEHHH!

Undyne fired another barrage of spears at me, but this time they all came from her direction. These spears were also much larger, so I decided against trying to COUNTER them, instead sidestepping as they came at me.

* * *

 **Undyne is glaring at you.**

 **Alexus LV 4 50/50 HP**

 ***Fight Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 ***Undyne**

* * *

"You can try Undyne, but you'll find I'm far tougher prey than my sister. how about we crack open that tin can you're wearing!" I said, before rushing in, swinging my bat in an uppercut slash.

 ***201***

"Alright punk, payback time!" Undyne shouted.

I suddenly found my movements restricted, and gasped in surprise as I looked at my SOUL...now _green_ instead of _orange._

"What's this d...holy crap!"

I reacted almost instantly as a spear whizzed towards me, blocking it with my bat. The attack disappeared as soon as it touched my bat. Actually, my bat seemed to have some kind of energy clinging to it...almost like a shield. I was quickly forced to block more attacks, but since I could just hold the shield against them I was able to take a moment to think.

 _So that's it. Green SOUL mode locks me in place, but gives me a shield in compensation. Also...I'm beginning to think that my 'counter' ability is related to my SOUL color, since when Papyrus changed it to blue I lost it._

 _...But why? Why would she even give me a shield in the first place? Unless..._

"I didn't think you'd fight this way. Attacking me out of the blue on that bridge, I thought you were just an opportunist, attacking the weak and unaware because you're scared of a fair fight. But that's not you, is it? You actually have honor, giving me a shield in this mode is proof of that. Everything you've done has been for your people, even if it meant doing things you found distasteful, like attacking me on the bridge."

"So what? It doesn't change anything." Undyne shouted.

 _So she's basically a pseudo-knight, focused on honor and integrity. There...might be a way to use that._

"Actually it does. It makes it a lot easier to keep my promise to Frisk, and reduces the anger I feel towards you, since I understand entirely what it means to fight for another. It's too bad that our goals are mutually exclusive, otherwise I'd offer you my friendship, since you actually seem pretty similar to me, and don't seem like a bad person."

"Like I'd ever be friends with a human!"

"Do you really hate us that much?" I asked.

"Did you not read the glyphs on the way here?"

"No, I did...but that was how long ago? Are you really going to pin the crimes of our ancestors on us? I refuse to accept that. I answer for my own actions, no one elses!"

"...you're pretty interesting for a human." Undyne said after a moment.

"Thank you." I said.

"...Although...you should probably keep paying attention in the middle of a battle."

"Wha...AGH!" I screamed as a spear slammed into my back.

 ***9***

Now fully aware of my surroundings, I spun a deflected the remaining spears as they closed in, preventing myself from taking more damage.

"How's that!" I shouted. Undyne waved her spear towards me, sending _something_ at me, and suddenly the restriction on my movement lifted, as my SOUL turned back to _orange_. I suddenly had a sense of deja vu and dodged to the right instinctively, just in time to avoid one final spear.

 _What...was that? It was like...I_ _ **knew**_ _it was coming, a second before it came._

I spend a moment contemplating my next move.

 _...9 damage from a single attack. Undyne isn't like the monsters I've faced up until now. She's actually dangerous. I think it's best if I play it safe._

* * *

 **Undyne suplexes a boulder, just because she can!**

 **Alexus LV 4 41/50 HP**

 **Fight Act *Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Scrap of Cloth**

 **Pie Slice**

 **Cinnamon Bunny**

 **Crab Apple**

 ***Crab Apple**

* * *

 ***Recovered 18 HP.**

 **Alexus LV 4 50/50 HP**

* * *

Undyne created more spears, but now that my SOUL had turned back to _orange,_ I dodged them fairly easily, the flashes of deja vu I kept getting and which kept being accurate made it even easier, before COUNTERing the final spear, sending it flying at Undyne. However, she pulsed _green_ and blocked the attack, taking no damage.

"Did you really think that would work a second time?"

* * *

 **Undyne is defending herself.**

 **Alexus LV 4 50/50 HP**

 ***Fight Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 ***Undyne**

* * *

"But I don't use projectiles, and now you're wide open!" I shouted as I charged her. I leaped into the air, bat raised above my head, before I'd noticed she was smirking. I widened my eyes as another sense of deja vu swept over me, much stronger than the others. With the others it had felt like a vague premonition that nonetheless gave me a clue as to what was about to happen, but this...this felt like I'd literally lived through this once before. I desperately twisted my body in midair, only just barely avoiding being impaled by a massive spear. However, I was unable to completely dodge it, as it ripped open my stomach.

 ***49***

"AGH!" I screamed in pain, even as I landed and swung my bat, striking Undyne in the chest. She seemed unprepared for my survival, and her defenses were down.

 ***725***

"NYAH!" She screamed, as my bat crushed her armor slightly. We both fell to our knees, her HP bar almost completely depleted, and my own sitting at a paltry 1 point.

"Damn...you..." Undyne managed to sputter out.

"...I...won't...give...up..." I ground out, pushing myself to my feet.

"Neither...will I. You don't get it...do you. I'm...the only hope...the others...have left. Asgore...I see the pain he's in. He doesn't want to fight. He has...no real chance...if you reach him, no matter...how strong he is. If he...fights either of you...you'll destroy him. All of his hopes, his dreams. Vanquished in an instant."

Undyne's face turned to a snarl.

"But I won't let you do that! For Asgore's sake...and for the sake of everyone else...I can't die here...I WON'T LOSE HERE! I REFUSE! I, _**UNDYNE**_ , WILL STRIKE YOU DOWN...AND TAKE YOUR SOUL, FOR THE GOOD OF THE UNDERGROUND! NYAHHHHH!

I was forced to shield my eyes, as Undyne gave out a blinding flash of light. When it faded, I looked back at Undyne, and gasped. Gone was the armor I'd crushed in my last attack, as were the injuries I'd managed to inflict. Instead, Undyne herself seemed pristine, and in her former armor's place was a jet black suit of armor emblazoned with a glowing white heart on the front, and spikes protruding off of her armor's pauldrons.

 _ **"You're going to have to do better than THAT!"**_

"What...is this!?" I said in disbelief.

 **BGM: Battle against a True Hero (Intense Symphonic Metal Remix) by FalKKonE**

* * *

 **The heroine appears.**

 **Alexus LV 4 1/50 HP**

 **Fight Act *Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Scrap of Cloth**

 ***Pie Slice**

 **Cinnamon Bunny**

 **Crab Apple**

* * *

 **Fully recovered HP.**

 **Alexus LV 4 50/50 HP**

* * *

 _ **"Take this!"**_ Undyne shouted, as she waved her spear at me, turning my SOUL green again. However, unlike before, where the spears seemed to come at me at a somewhat reasonable rate, now it felt like I was under constant assault. Three times a spear managed to slip past my defenses.

 ***7***

 ***8***

 ***7***

"URGH...heh...heh...how the heck am I supposed to keep up. It's...crazy..." I said, trying to reassure myself and failing horribly. I studied her carefully as I held my injured stomach in my free hand, trying to staunch the bleeding.

 _You won't win if you stay on defense. You have to FIGHT!_

* * *

 **A chill runs down your spine.**

 **Alexus LV 4 28/50 HP**

 ***Fight Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 ***Undyne the Undying**

* * *

"I won't lose to you Undyne! HYAHHHH!" I screamed as I swung with all my might.

 ***12***

I stared in disbelief as Undyne's HP meter, fully refilled, didn't even seem to budge.

 _ **"Is that the best you can do?"**_ Undyne said, before laughing as she created a massive ring of spears around me. I closed my eyes, fighting to keep my composure.

 _What...is this...how...how do I...I can't..._

 _'Don't kill, and don't be killed.'_

 _'...I promise.'_

My eyes shot open as I dodged through the ring of spears.

"I can't give up! I promised my sister I wouldn't die here!" I said, my fist clenched. Though I wasn't paying any attention to it at that moment, my SOUL gave out a small pulse of light.

 _ **"Is that so? Perhaps I'll have to pay her a visit after I take your SOUL. After all...we are at war after all. The additional SOUL may be useful for our cause."**_ Undyne said, as she continued to create more rings of spears around me, which I continued to dodge, finally ending with her turning my SOUL _orange._ I struggled to contain my anger, as my fist clenched so tight I felt a drop of blood slip past my fingers, my nails biting into my skin hard enough to draw it.

"As if I'd let you! I don't care how long I have to fight for, I WON'T let you hurt her!"

* * *

 **The wind is howling.**

 **Alexus LV 4 28/50 HP**

 ***Fight Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 ***Undyne the Undying**

* * *

"NO MATTER WHAT!" I shouted, swing once again at Undyne, who didn't even bother attempting to dodge.

 ***2214***

 _ **"Urk...what the...where did you suddenly get this power from!?"**_ Undyne said, doubled over from the force of my attack.

 _That's a really good question...but I'm not questioning it._

 _ **"FORGET THIS! I'M TAKING YOU OUT RIGHT NOW!"**_

Spears began floating in midair around me, before flying at me at lightning speed. Any hopes I had for the senses of deja vu to help me again were dashed, as I didn't feel anything, save for the pain of the spears slamming into me.

 ***9***

 ***9***

 ***8***

* * *

 **You hear rushing water.**

 **Alexus LV 4 2/50 HP**

 **Fight Act *Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Scrap of Cloth**

 ***Cinnamon Bunny**

 **Crab Apple**

* * *

 **Recovered 22 HP**

 **Alexus LV 4 24/50 HP**

* * *

 _ **"THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE ENOUGH!"**_

My available dodging space suddenly cut down to nearly nothing, as spears began shooting forwards, trying to run me through. I dodged the first, only to get caught by the second.

 ***13***

I recovered and leapt past the third and fourth, but the injuries I'd accumulated over the battle had left their mark, reducing my speed despite being healed by my items, and the fifth spear flew true.

 ***11***

"AGH!" I screamed in pain as I fell back, only just barely catching sight of my menu.

* * *

 **Alexus LV 4 0/50 HP**

* * *

 **BGM: Memory, Undertale OST**

 _...is this...really how it ends?_

 _'Don't kill, and don't be killed.'_

 _...sorry Frisk. I guess I broke my promise._

 _'Perhaps I'll have to pay her a visit after I take your SOUL.'_

 _...Frisk...I..._

My SOUL trembled, and broke into two pieces, but even as they did so, they gave out a pulse of light.

 _NO! Frisk...I...I WON'T LEAVE YOU! I'LL PROTECT YOU. I PROMISED YOU. I WON'T BREAK MY PROMISES!_

The two fragments of my SOUL hovered there, barely holding together, and continuing to pulse.

 _NOT LIKE THIS! I WON'T GO! I...REFUSE!_

* * *

 ***The thought of fulfilling your promise to your sister...fills you with...DETERMINATION!***

* * *

Suddenly, directly in front of me was a blazing yellow star, pulsing with gentle light. With what little strength I had left, I reached out for it.

 **File SAVED.**

* * *

 **Alexus LV 4 ?:?**

 **Waterfall - Battle VS Undyne**

* * *

 **HP Fully Restored.**

* * *

 **BGM: Undyne The Undying (Epic Orchestral Suite by Tristan Gray)(Begin at 1:00)**

As quickly as it had arrived however, the star disappeared, almost as if the condition for it to appear was no longer satisfied. But that didn't matter.

With a gasp, I opened my eyes.

 _Wait what? Wasn't I just..._

 _..._

 _I just DIED there, didn't I. And I'm only alive...because of some kind of miracle._

I pushed myself to my feet, and just as quickly clutched my bleeding stomach.

 _ **"I don't know how your survived that, but you can barely stand. I'll make it quick."**_

Undyne threw a spear at me, only for me to catch it, and to my complete surprise, disintegrate the spear just by holding it. I shook my head, trying to clear the stars that clouded my vision.

"This pain...it's like nothing I've ever felt before...I can barely see...everything is going dark...I feel cold...All I want to do is lie down and let myself die...but there's something holding me back. A promise I made to someone I care about. My precious younger sister. Frisk. The one you fought and tried so hard to harm.

I fought my way here, making sure I kept my hands clean, so I could look her in the eyes when I found her. To tell her she is still loved, even if our parents abandoned us. To tell her she still has a place in this world. That whatever reason she had for climbing Mt. Ebbot wasn't enough to make me abandon her.

But you're standing in my way. You want her SOUL. You want to kill her.

But I WON'T let you do that.

NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS. I WILL PROTECT THE ONLY REAL FAMILY I HAVE LEFT. AND IF YOU REFUSE TO GET OUT OF MY WAY...I, ALEXUS, WILL STRIKE YOU DOWN!"

* * *

 **Undyne is amazed.**

 **Alexus LV 4 50/50 HP(inj)**

 ***Fight Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 ***Undyne the Undying**

* * *

"EN GUARDE!" I shouted, attacking with all my might.

 ***4510***

 _ **"HNGH...WHY!? Why are you growing even stronger as the battle goes on. JUST WHAT ARE YOU!?**_

"I'm Alexus! And this power...is my DETERMINATION, to defeat YOU!" I shouted, not quite knowing why. Undyne's eyes widened.

 _ **"This is Humanity's...true power. But I still won't give up!"**_

Undyne created spears in a circle around me, but this attack was one she had already used, and I was able to navigate her attacks without incident.

 ***Your body has been pushed to the breaking point. MAX HP reduced.**

* * *

 **Defeat Undyne!**

 **Alexus LV 4 46/46 HP(inj)**

 ***Fight Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 _So that's how this is. I can't use monster food to heal anymore. If I go down again, I'm down for good...and I'll go down regardless soon enough._

 _...But that doesn't mean I'll give up!_

Undyne created a ludicrous number of spears around herself and sent them flying towards me in a massive storm of magical steel. I ran forwards, head first into the barrage, dodging everything she could throw at me.

 _ **"With this last attack, I'll defeat you! NO MATTER THE COST!"**_ Undyne shouted, before turning my SOUL _green_. Magic seemed to pour from her as she created even more spears, which she immediately sent at me. The first one managed to catch me off guard.

 ***9***

However, her HP bar had appeared as she did this, and it was slowly depleting as she attacked.

 _She's...killing herself with this. She can't possible have enough magic to fuel this! Is she insane!_

Any thought of attacking her was struck from my mind as I was forced to focus entirely on defense.

 ***6***

The barrage seemed endless and I was barely able to keep ahead of her, especially as some of her attacks started to come from one direction only to swing around and strike at my back.

 ***8***

 _It's...almost over...just a few more..._

The final spear didn't act like the others, wavering and changing speed, which helped it slip past my defenses.

 ***9***

I realized just afterward that the spear had only acted like that because it was only partially formed.

I spun and deflected the last few spears, and turned back to face Undyne. She panted and slumped to the ground. Her HP bar held only a sliver of green. If I were a betting man, I would guess she had only 1HP remaining.

 _ **"I gave that attack...everything I had...how are you...still...alive..."**_

 ***Your injuries grow more serious. MAX HP Reduced.**

* * *

 **Undyne is vulnerable.**

 **Alexus LV 4 10/10 HP(inj)**

 **Fight *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Check *Talk**

* * *

"Because I'm fighting not for myself, but for my sister. I'd fight my way back from hell itself to protect her."

 _ **"...I suppose, if I must die...I'd rather it be against someone like you. Make it quick."**_ Undyne said in resignation.

 ***Your injuries grow more serious. MAX HP Reduced.**

* * *

 **Fight *Mercy**

* * *

"...I want to. I really do want to kill you. You threatened my sister, you actually succeeded in killing me once, and you are likely the strongest threat in the Underground."

 _ **"Then do it!"**_

"But there is one thing holding me back. My sister would not want me to. I'm sure if I did, and explained my reasoning...she'd eventually forgive me. But...I don't think I could forgive myself. You are just trying to help your people...people who were sealed away by my ancestors. Sure, I refuse to accept the blame for what they did...but if I refuse to help you now, I become as bad as they were. So...because of that..."

 ***Your injuries grow more serious. MAX HP Reduced.**

* * *

 **Undyne is in shock.**

 **Alexus LV 4 2/2 HP**

 **Fight Act *Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Scrap of Cloth**

 ***Crab Apple**

* * *

 **Alexus**

 ***Undyne**

* * *

"You don't deserve to die, regardless of what has happened. So don't die Undyne. Live."

Alexus held out the crab apple to her, and she hesitantly ate it.

 _*180*_

 _ **"You're a fool for helping your enemy."**_

"You aren't."

 **"I'm not...what?"**

"You aren't my enemy. You are a knight, and you did your duty. So do me just one favor. Leave my sister be. If you want a human SOUL...then come...after...m...e..."

I slumped over and darkness claimed me. As i pitched forward, I saw two lines on my menu. Despite my situation, the first made me smile.

* * *

 ***You showed MERCY to a dangerous foe. LV decreased.**

 ***Your injuries overcome you. MAX HP reduced to 0.**

* * *

 **A/N: DUH DUH DUH...no? Alright then.**

 **In all seriousness, I highly doubt anyone saw this coming. I will say this outright. THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE STORY. I will also say this. Alexus does NOT have the SAVE/LOAD/RESET powers as of the end of this chapter. If you re-read the section carefully I think you might just be able to figure out what happened.**


	7. Deal with a Flowery Devil

**Brothertale**

 **A/N: the creative juices are running hot, so I've gotta keep this going. Unfortunately, Alexus isn't exactly in any shape to be doing much of anything, so things will be a little different this time. Here is Chapter 7: Deal with a Flowery Devil.**

* * *

Darkness clung around me, coming and going every few seconds as slow snippets of sound and sensation made their way to my weak awareness. I was barely able to hear, and what I did didn't make a whole lot of sense.

 _'...don't know...heal...degree...damage'_

 _'there must...you can do...'_

 _'if you...won't hurt...promise.'_

 _'...because...helped...'_

 _'...owe him...'_

Eventually, trying to decipher even these small snippets was too much, and the darkness claimed everything.

* * *

 _ **(Somewhere else, through someone else's eyes...)**_

A lone girl ran through a fiery landscape, ignoring the two side paths available to her entirely, instead heading for a large metallic building, the word 'LAB' emblazoned on it. The girl paused for just a moment before entering.

"Hello? Is anyone..." The girl trailed off as she caught sight of a strange yellow lizard type monster in a lab coat, eyes glued to a monitor just to the left of the entrance, with two figures battling on the screen.

"Is that...Alexus!? You're watching them fight?"

"Er...yes. H-h-hiya, I'm Dr. Alphys. I'm the Royal Scientist. I-it's n-nice to m-meet y-you." Alphys said, a nervous tremor visibly affecting her.

"A pleasure to meet you. My name is Frisk. So why are you watching my brother fight Undyne?" Frisk said.

"That's your brother? Does that m-mean..."

"Alphys, I've known since Snowdin that _someone_ has been watching me. You don't need to pretend like you don't know who and what I am."

"...umm...ok..."

"Well, since I'm reasonably safe here from being attacked, I guess I may as well watch my brother fight. Unless you want to try and take my SOUL from me as well?"

"N-no, I'm not m-much of a f-fighter."

"Well that's good, because I don't really want to fight you either. So watching the fight together it is?"

"Sounds good." Alphys answered. Frisk turned to face the screen.

 _I believe in you Alexus...but it would be better to be safe than sorry._

* * *

 ***Watching this battle on the monitor...fills you with DETERMINATION.***

 **FILE SAVED.**

* * *

Almost absentmindedly, Frisk reached out and SAVED, before really beginning to pay attention. Alexus's SOUL had been turned green, and her frantically defended using the shield that mode gave him. Frisk stifled a gasp as he took a hit in the back.

"Be more careful brother..." Frisk said quietly, as even more attacks closed in on him. Finally, one spear slammed into his back, almost exactly where the other one had. Instead of shrugging it off, however, he spasmed and fell to the ground.

"Ooh, that looks like it hurt. Doesn't look like he's getting up." Alphys said, seeming to forget who else was watching. Frisk frowned.

 _ ***LOAD***_

"Ooh, he dodged it, just barely. Careful Undyne! That looks like it hurt. But that spear from the side...ouch." Alphys said, fist pumping as Undyne wound up a kill-blow.

 _ ***LOAD***_

"Whoa, how is he reacting so fast. WOW! He actually grabbed her spear out of midair. But Undyne won't fall for that. Oh no, Undyne is...whoa! I didn't think she'd set an awesome trap like that. But that poor human...OW!

"ALEXUS!" Frisk shouted almost involuntarily as she watched Alexus charge forward, only to be skewered by a massive spear. Undyne claimed his SOUL triumphantly.

 _No way! As many times as it takes...I'll guide you through this Alexus._

 _ ***LOAD***_

"SO CLOSE! Undyne, you almost got him!"

"Could you remember who else is watching Alphys! That _is_ my brother out there, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't act like him getting hurt is a good thing...at least, not in front of me!"

"Er...I-I'm sorry. I f-forgot."

"...It's fine. I guess Alexus won anyways, Undyne won't be able to keep going in that state. Hopefully he has more luck _sparing_ her than I did." Frisk said, turning away for a moment.

"...you should keep watching." Alphys said seriously, as the room lit up with light from the monitor.

"Why, he alrea..." Frisk trailed off as the camera was able to deliver a clear image again.

"SO COOL! How did she do that!?" Alphys squealed, looking at Undynes new form. Frisk, however, could only stare in mute horror.

 _That's...Undyne the Undying!? But I didn't..._

Frisk trailed off, the thought cut off before she finished.

 _Oh god...Alexus...What do I do? How do I prevent this!?_

Frisk grew pale as she realized the truth.

 _There's nothing I can do at all! Alexus...run away! You aren't a match for her like that. Neither of us are._

Frisk's horror at the situation only grew as she watched Alexus fight for his life, desperately using items to try and keep his HP up...only for him to fall to Undyne's relentless attack.

 _I have no choice. Keep trying, as many times as it takes._

 _ ***LOAD failed***_

 _What!? Does someone...have more determination than me!? But who? And WHY NOW!?_

Frisk was broken out of her panicked thoughts by the sight of Alexus suddenly bolting upright, and forcing himself to his feet.

 _Wha...Alexus! You're ok!_

 _ **"I don't know how your survived that, but you can barely stand. I'll make it quick."**_ Undyne's voice sounded through the speaker. Frisk was completely floored by what she heard next.

 _"This pain...it's like nothing I've ever felt before...I can barely see...everything is going dark...I feel cold...All I want to do is lie down and let myself die...but there's something holding me back. A promise I made to someone I care about. My precious younger sister. Frisk. The one you fought and tried so hard to harm._

 _I fought my way here, making sure I kept my hands clean, so I could look her in the eyes when I found her. To tell her she is still loved, even if our parents abandoned us. To tell her she still has a place in this world. That whatever reason she had for climbing Mt. Ebbot wasn't enough to make me abandon her._

 _But you're standing in my way. You want her SOUL. You want to kill her._

 _But I WON'T let you do that._

 _NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS. I WILL PROTECT THE ONLY REAL FAMILY I HAVE LEFT. AND IF YOU REFUSE TO GET OUT OF MY WAY...I, ALEXUS, WILL STRIKE YOU DOWN!"_

"Whoa...that's...hey, are you crying."

Frisk raised her arm to her eyes, trying to slow the sudden flood of tears.

"Are you ok?"

"...I'm fine. He...that was..." Frisk couldn't describe the warmth that spread through her after hearing that. She also couldn't tear her eyes away as Alexus proceeded to turn the tables on Undyne.

 _ **"HNGH...WHY!? Why are you growing even stronger as the battle goes on. JUST WHAT ARE YOU!?"**_ Undyne's voice echoed through the lab.

 _"I'm Alexus! And this power...is my DETERMINATION, to defeat YOU!"_ Alexus answered. Frisk's eyes widened in shock.

 _It's...you? Your DETERMINATION...overpowered mine?_

Frisk shook her head, clearing her thoughts, watching helplessly as Undyne threw out all the stops trying to defeat Alexus.

 _She's going even crazier than...those times. How is Alexus surviving this? How is UNDYNE surviving this!?_

 **"I gave that attack...everything I had...how are you...still...alive..."**

"Because I'm fighting not for myself, but for my sister. I'd fight my way back from hell itself to protect her."

 **"...I suppose, if I must die...I'd rather it be against someone like you. Make it quick."**

"...I want to. I really do want to kill you. You threatened my sister, you actually succeeded in killing me once, and you are likely the strongest threat in the Underground."

 _Alexus!? I thought you'd changed. Why are you..._

 **"Then do it!"**

"But there is one thing holding me back. My sister would not want me to. I'm sure if I did, and explained my reasoning...she'd eventually forgive me. But...I don't think I could forgive myself. You are just trying to help your people...people who were sealed away by my ancestors. Sure, I refuse to accept the blame for what they did...but if I refuse to help you now, I become as bad as they were. So...because of that..."

 _...I shouldn't have doubted you Alexus._

Frisk thoughts again wandered to the dark parts of her past.

 _Hehehe...you've surpassed me, even if you don't know it. You would never respect me again if you knew..._

Frisk watched as Alexus gave Undyne a Crab Apple, and couldn't help but smile despite her quickly darkening mood.

 _And after this, Undyne shouldn't try and kill him, her honor won't allow it. It should be relatively easy to..._

Frisk's train of thought was broken as Alexus suddenly collapsed to the ground.

 _WHAT!?_

"What just happened!? Why did he..."

"He's hurt. You see it all the time in anime, where the hero just barely wins a fight, then collapses due to injury. But is this like _Dynamo Star,_ where he actually dies, or like _'Lion of the West',_ where the hero survives?"

"This isn't an anime Alphys! This is REAL!" Frisk shouted angrily, as she moved to leave.

* * *

 ***The thought of SAVING your brother fills you with DETERMINATION.***

 **FILE SAVED.**

* * *

 _At least I've got my SAVE power back under my control._

"W-where are you g-going?" Alphys asked as Frisk opened the door.

"Waterfall! I have to try and help him."

"But..." Alphys was suddenly interrupted by her phone ringing.

"Huh, who could that be?" Alphys asked.

"It's...Undyne!" Frisk said, pointing at the monitor, where sure enough, Undyne was holding a phone to her ear.

"O-o-oh. I-I c-couldn't p-possibly..." Alphys seemed to grow even more nervous.

 _Normally I'd play along with her crush, but I don't have time for this right now!_

"Then give it here!" Frisk snapped, snatching the phone from her.

"Alphys?" Undyne said.

"Alphys is too scared of her own feelings to answer the phone. What are you trying to do Undyne?" Frisk said, controlling her voice to not give away her emotions.

"What did you do to her human!" Undyne shouted.

"Nothing! I'm not the type to hurt people. You should realize that much, you beat me half to death without me throwing a single punch in retaliation."

"...whatever! What can you do about injuries to a human?"

"...Not a whole lot, especially with what you've done to my brother."

"What do you mean!?"

"I can see you right now on the camera monitor. Alphys was watching the battle, so I watched too."

"...so what do I do? I don't know how to heal that degree of damage."

"And you think I do?"

"Surely there must be something you can do for him!"

"...maybe...but how do I know you won't just attack me. This could be a trap!"

"If you come, I won't hurt you. I promise."

"Why are you trying so hard to help him. You're trying to get a human SOUL, right? Isn't this a perfect opportunity!? What's your goal here?"

"...I'm helping him because he helped me."

"That doesn't seem like a very strong reason."

"I don't want to owe him anything! He saved me, don't think I don't realize that I was about to die before he forced me to accept that apple. I owe him a life-debt. But once he's healed...all bets are off. But...I won't harm you, since it was his only request."

"That sounds more like you. Alright...listen to me. Carry him somewhere safe, your house would likely be best. Start boiling cloth for bandages and for god's sake, don't overdo it and burn your house down. I'll be on my way with Alphys, and hopefully I'll have everything I need to give him a fighting chance."

"Alright."

"One other thing. _**Don't you dare let him die, Undyne.**_ "Frisk said, suddenly calm. However, Undyne got a shiver down her spine, as she felt that despite the calm demeanor and lack of anything indicating it, what she had just heard was a threat.

"...I understand."

"Good. Goodbye Undyne." Frisk said, before ending the call.

"Alphys, I need you to gather some supplies before we leave. I need syringe needles, a plastic bag for holding liquids, and tubing, and it all needs to be sterile. If you have a small shunt that would also be helpful, but if not I'll work without it.

"What are you doing?"

"Alexus lost a lot of blood. I'm going to give him some of mine."

"I...er...admittedly don't know a lot about human biology, but isn't it bad for the wrong type of blood to be given to someone?"

"Yes, but I know something you don't. My blood type is O-, also known as the universal donor. I may not know what Alexus's blood type is, but it doesn't matter, since mine will work. Most of the other types of complications won't be an issue because we're siblings. Also...if you have any kind of sugary drinks, bring those too."

"Why?"

"My body will need fuel to replace the blood I'm going to give him."

"But isn't that really dangerous?"

"I'm willing to take that risk."

 _After all...I get as many chances as I need to get this right. And I'm sure I'll need a lot. But...I won't let you die like this Alexus!_

The two of them spent less than 10 minutes gathering the needed supplies before setting off for Waterfall.

* * *

Frisk threw open Undyne's house door and stepped inside without a moments hesitation. Undyne and Alexus were both present, Alexus still unconscious and Undyne doing her best to comply with Frisk's requests. A pot filled with water and cloth boiled on the stove, which was running at a reasonable heat.

"Move." Frisk said to Undyne, taking her place sitting next to Alexus and peeling away the blood soaked clothes from his body carefully, cutting away what was necessary with a knife quickly taken from Undyne's kitchen, which was sharp enough for this. She winced as she saw the extent of the damage.

* * *

 ***The thought of fixing this fills you with DETERMINATION.***

 **File SAVED.**

* * *

"You're acting pretty different than you were before. Showing your true colors?" Undyne said.

"Maybe. Or maybe I'm pretty upset because _someone_ stabbed my brother a dozen or so times, and I'm putting on a strong face so I don't break down crying!" Frisk said, her voice growing steadily louder until it was just short of a shout. Undyne had the decency to at least look a little ashamed, averting her gaze. Frisk turned back to Alexus.

"How are you even still alive..." Frisk muttered. She then smiled, as she seemed to realize.

"Of course...you always keep your promises to me. Undyne! Get me some of those cloths, and boil more water."

"Wait a minute, you can't just give orders..."

"If you have a problem with it, save it until I've pulled my brother back from death's door! And if you're not going to help, then leave, since you'll only be in my way!" Frisk shouted. Undyne took an involuntary step back from the angry girl. Despite how easily she had nearly killed the girl earlier, every instinct Undyne possessed screamed that the girl was dangerous. Undyne shook her head before complying with Frisk's demands. Frisk turned back to dressing her brother's wounds and bandaging them as best she could.

"Alphys, prep the needles and blood bags."

"What the heck is a blood?" Undyne said.

"Blood for humans is basically what magic is for monsters. We need it to live, and any injury that breaks the skin results in us losing some of it. Lose too much, and we die...though that isn't the only way we can be killed. We can also share blood if needed, but there are a lot of conditions that need to be met, which I do." Frisk explained, as she rolled her sleeve up and tied a tube around her arm.

 _This is it. No matter how many times it takes...I'm going to save you._

"I'm going to drain some of my blood into this bag Alphys. I probably won't be in any condition to do anything once it's done, so listen. You need to..." Frisk explained basic first aid to Alphys, as well as her best idea on how to administer the blood to Alexus afterwards.

"...after the bag is filled, you'll need to close the shunt, since I don't exactly feel like bleeding out...do you got all that?" Frisk finished.

"...yeah. What if it doesn't work..."

"Don't worry about that."

 _It will work...or it won't happen._

* * *

It didn't happen, and continued to not happen. Frisk grit her teeth as she once again siphoned her blood into the bag.

The first time, Alphys had been overwhelmed with the situation, failing to properly complete Frisk's orders, and Frisk had awoken hours later to a fearful Alphys and a morose Undyne. In a certain special type of container which Frisk had seen before in _other_ times, was an _orange_ SOUL. Frisk rejected that reality immediately, LOADing without saying a word.

The second time she failed to properly insert the shunt into herself. She never awoke, instead finding herself with the option to LOAD or RESET, without ever having the chance to fix the mistake before bleeding out.

The third time Frisk found that her bandaging job needed work, with Alexus bleeding out despite her efforts. Again, she was presented with an _orange_ SOUL.

And this time...her hand slipped, the blood in the bag quickly spilling. In frustration, she LOADed once more.

 _WHY! Why...won't this just WORK!_

 _...but I WON'T give up._

Again and again, Frisk continued to meet with failure after failure...until...

* * *

"What if it doesn't work..."

"...Don't worry about that." Frisk said wearily.

"Gah...you're awfully stubborn for someone so useless. No matter what you do, he'll die. You lack the needed skills and you know it." A sudden voice entered the conversation. Frisk spun around, trying to find the source.

"I'm in the window, you idiot." Flowey said, as Frisk turned to face him, Knife already in hand.

"What do _you_ want!?" Alphys said, as Frisk moved to a defensive position near Alexus.

"Nothing _you_ can help with. Only she can do what I want...or rather, what I want her to _'not'_ do. But she won't stop...unless he lives. I can't stop her...so if I want it to stop, then I need to help you save him." Flowey said. Alphys turned back to Frisk, a confused look on her face.

"And what would you even know about this!?" Frisk shouted.

"Ah...we can't have a nice talk about 'that' unless the idiot scientist and fish-bones for brains give us some...privacy." Flowey said, giving them a wide grin. Undyne moved towards the window, preparing to attack, but Frisk held out her hand, stopping her. Frisk glared at the SOULless flower, but slowly lowered her weapon.

"Alright. Alphys, Undyne...please watch over Alexus while I talk with the flower." Frisk said.

"You can't, you don't know about..."

"Flowey was the first thing to attack me in the underground, and nearly killed me. He's been following me ever since. If I give him half a chance he'll do his best to kill me and take my SOUL for himself. I know I can't trust him as far as I can throw him...but he's right. I'm bumbling around here, trying my best to save someone precious to me, but I'm going to fail. I...I have to try."

"But..."

"I've decided! Please Alphys..."

"...ok. Please, be careful."

Frisk nodded, and exited the house, leaving her brother in the care of the two monster women.

* * *

Flowey led her away from Undyne's home, checking to make sure they weren't followed. Eventually, they found themselves back at the dump.

"There we are, we're not likely to be overheard here." Flowey said. Frisk scowled, crossing her arms and glaring at the flower.

"What are you doing Flowey? You know killing me or Alexus now is senseless. I won't let it stand.

"Oh, I'm all too aware of that! I can't even let myself relax, with all the RESETing you're doing. Don't you care about how it inconveniences others?"

"Seeing as it's only you...not really." Frisk said, sticking out her tongue.

"You're a disrespectful little brat, aren't you."

"Respect is earned, not given Flowey. Maybe if you actually had an ounce of compassion or empathy I might. But we're wasting time...let's just get to the point. What do you want?"

"What I want is for these endless LOAD's to come to an end. But of course, I know you won't stop...unless he lives, you won't ever give it up, will you. So I guess I have no choice but to help you heal him."

"What would you even know about that? Humans are a lot different than monsters."

"Please, do you think I don't know that? I've read every book that has ever fallen down here during my many resets...including medical encyclopedias. Let me tell you, you humans with your physical bodies are absolutely _disgusting_. But I can probably ensure he doesn't die...for a price."

"You do realize you have one of those 'physical bodies' too, right?" Frisk said.

"Is that really what you want to talk about right now?" Flowey said, his voice filled with false glee.

"...Fine. What do you want in exchange, since I'm sure you aren't going to do this for free."

"You would be correct. I want one thing...and one thing alone." Flowey said, before his vines erupted from the water. Frisk wasn't able to react in time, and was ensnared, and held directly in front of Flowey, who was using his 'demonic' face. Her SOUL was wrenched from her body, as she was forced into a battle. Friendliness pellets surrounded her SOUL, which was confined to a box the same size as her SOUL, eliminating any movements she could make. The pellets orbited her, and occasionally shot towards her SOUL...but turned blue before they impacted, causing no damage. It did, however, function quite well as intimidation.

* * *

 **Flowey's got you tightly in his grasp.**

 **FIGHT disabled.**

 **Frisk LV 1 20/20 HP**

 **XXX *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Check *Struggle**

* * *

"Somehow...you have the power to utterly ERASE everyone's memories. All of my progress...my memories...you can turn them all to 0, can't you?" Flowey said, his happy voice gone, replaced with a much more menacing growl.

* * *

 ***You struggle pitifully. Nothing happened.***

* * *

Frisk continued to try, before finally admitting defeat, going slack in Flowey's grip. She glared up at him, but gave a single nod.

"Fine. Yes, I hold that power. I get rid of all the echoes that normally persist through regular RESET's...including your memories."

"That power is the price. You will NEVER use it again."

* * *

 **Flowey's glancing from side to side.**

 **Frisk LV 1 20/20 HP**

 **XXX *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Check *Talk**

* * *

"Even if I agree to this...what's to stop me from breaking my promise?"

"Trust me...that will not be an option. Now...what is your answer?"

* * *

 **Flowey's grinning at you.**

 **Frisk LV 1 20/20 HP**

 **XXX *Act Item Mercy**

* * *

 **Check Talk**

 ***Agree Disagree**

* * *

"...fine."

"Splendid. I'm glad we had this _talk_." Flowey said. Without any other cue, the friendliness pellets dissipated and the vines released her, expanding the bullet board back to it's normal size.

* * *

 **Flowey is sparing you.**

 **Frisk LV 1 20/20 HP**

 **Fight Act Item *Mercy**

* * *

 ***Spare Flee**

* * *

 ***You WON! You got 0 XP and 0 Gold for winning.**

* * *

"Alright...now to go and make this official." Flowey said, as he led her back to Undyne's house.

"Official?" Frisk questioned.

"Yes, official. There won't be any breaking of this promise."

"And how are you going to do that?"

"I have my ways. By the way...you will need to do one more LOAD to save your brother." Flowey said.

"What? Why!?" She said, as Flowey pushed himself up to the windowsill.

"Because, I can hardly heal him when he's dead." Flowey said, as Alexus's body was surrounded in friendliness pellets, which hit home almost instantly. With Alexus being unconscious, there was no way for him to defend or evade the attack, and his HP being nonexistent meant even the slightest amount of damage was lethal. Both Undyne and Alphys had attempted to intervene, but were far too slow. Alexus's SOUL emerged from his now hole-ridden body, and a single vine ensnared it.

"ALEXUS! Flowey...how could you..." Frisk growled out in anger, her hand already clutching the Knife, and her body dropping into a battle ready stance.

"Oh relax, would you? You can just LOAD anyways, and it's necessary. The fool didn't even realize his own power. Determination is powerful, yes...but not _that_ powerful. Were his injuries solely to his SOUL, yes, he could have overcome them with just _Determination_. The look on your face tells me you're more than familiar with that. But his body was mangled by Undyne's attacks, which have an element of physicality to them. Come to think of it, most of the Royal Guard has that actually. Food for thought. But we're getting off track. Even as physically injured as he was...he still opposed Undyne after being defeated, restoring his own HP, for a limited time anyways. Even now, until I finished him off, he was surviving with 0 HP. That shouldn't have been possible, and with only Determination, it isn't. But...add magic into the mix, and it's a different story."

"Magic?" Frisk said, tense, yet curious.

"Yes, magic. He had no idea he'd become the first human mage the underground has seen in centuries, and with as powerful and rare an affinity as Oath Magic. His silly promises to you let him channel his magic into upholding them, allowing him to push on, as long as he had the _Determination_ to uphold his words. And since you made him promise not to die...unless his magic was completely overwhelmed or he willingly chose death...he would not die. So now, with this SOUL, I can borrow that power, the power to magically enforce a promise or oath. And the best part is the only way to break this oath afterwards is to destroy his SOUL, something I know you will never do. Now then, make your promise! Or I will sit back and watch him die, again and again, all the while refusing to help you. Maybe I'll even kill you every time you LOAD, so you don't even have the tiny chance of success."

Frisk glared at the flower who now held her brother's SOUL, but growled out her promise.

"In exchange for saving Alexus's life, I will sacrifice the 'True Reset' power I possess. But break this covenant, and my promise becomes null and void, and I will do my utmost to make your life hell."

"...You aren't as big an idiot as you used to be, giving yourself that out. I respect that. I accept your _oath_ , as I have no intention of breaking my half of the bargain." Flowey said. As soon as he said the words, silver threads emerged from Alexus's SOUL, and twined themselves into both Flowey and Frisk. Frisk felt _something_ shatter within herself, and knew her capability to use _True Reset_ had just been lost.

"Now, use that power of yours and LOAD. I'll be along shortly to heal your brother." Flowey said, setting her down somewhat gently.

"...why? Why are you doing this?"

"Just how many RESETs...how many timelines have you lived through...and stolen from me. Growing and learning, but keeping me from maintaining the same. I refuse to allow you to keep that advantage. The game's no fun if one side is too strong, after all. Honestly, I could care less if he lives or dies, but _you_ care, which is what matters here." Flowey said.

"And how did you figure out that I had this power?" Frisk said, changing the subject.

"...small inconsistencies. Like I've said, I've read everything there is to read down here. Psychology is another one of the things I studied...and you don't act at all like the child you should be. I can see the experience you hold...the fear of the unknown that you lack...as well as the darkness within you try so hard to hide and deny. In the end, you're just like me, so you must have lived through many RESET's already in order to become this way. Once I realized that, I watch and waited, and took the first opportunity I had to deal with it. And now...you've lost that advantage over me."

"...I never considered it an advantage. I'll be happy to see the end of that power. I'll see you later Flowey." Frisk said, as time began to shift around them.

* * *

Moments later, Frisk was back in Undyne's house, Alexus laying in front of her, alive once more.

"You're acting pretty different than you were before. Showing your true colors?" Undyne said once again. Frisk sighed.

"Just start boiling cloths Undyne, I don't have time to deal with you sniping at me." Frisk said, as she prepped Alexus for Flowey's arrival.

 _I just hope this deal with the devil is worth it. At least he didn't ask for my SOUL._

 _..._

 _After all...I made my choice regarding_ _ **that**_ _a long time ago. Isn't that right Chara?_

 _ **Indeed.**_

* * *

 **A/N: In my original outline of this story...this was not an entire chapter. This was supposed to take up about 1000, maybe 1500 words worth of story, letting us advance more quickly. But, as often happens when I write, things just keep happening between characters, and suddenly I have a full chapter written on something that's 3 lines long in my outline. Meh, what're you gonna do?**

 **This chapter is the first that explicitly mentions something that is majorly important to the story...the fact that it's a Post-Genocide timeline. It's important enough that I wanted to specifically mention it here, just in case you skimmed over the relevant lines that imply/reveal it. I also revealed that Chara is present and able to speak with Frisk, should they choose to do so.**

 **Secondly, I wish to warn you, what I'm about to write below contains a little information unique to the Brothertale AU that hasn't been revealed to the characters yet, but is relevant to what was revealed. I'll give you the chance to choose to read it now, or wait for chapter 8 first.**

 **Ok, for everyone still here...regarding Alexus gaining magic. If you feel this is completely out of left field, I ask you to re-read Chapter 6(if you reach the Undyne fight you've gone too far).**

 **According to that set of glyphs, humans having magic at some point is CANON, since it took 7 human magicians to create the barrier in the first place, which means it is more than possible for someone to awaken the bloodline now. Why now? Well...Alexus has been exposed to magic, a brand new experience for him, so why not let that act as a catalyst for awakening his own latent ability. In any case, it shouldn't cause many problems in terms of story pace. This is not a combat power(at least, in it's current form), and won't interfere with his normal stats barring certain special situations. What this particular magic can do is limited to three main functions.**

 **A) Can temporarily empower himself in the pursuit of fulfilling a promise. Alexus's promise to not die was one such promise, and his power manifested as additional Determination not his own(allowing him to overpower Frisk for a few moments), as well as stalling death for a small time so Frisk has time to attempt to save his life. This power is unique to humans due to the usage of both magic and Determination. Undyne does NOT use this power to become Undyne the Undying, the similarities of the effects of Undyne's Determination and Alexus's magic in this particular case are purely coincidental. This power cannot be invoked intentionally, and attempts to do so will instead cause this power to fail.**

 **B) Can magically enforce a contract/oath/promise, forcing the participants to uphold their part of the bargain to the best of their ability. Thus, making someone promise to not die will cause them to avoid battle and flee from anything dangerous, while forcing someone to promise to die(somehow), would be immediately fatal. Alexus does not yet know enough about magic to consistently use this power successfully, and in fact, is unaware he possesses it as of now. This is the power Flowey used to bind Frisk.**

 **C) If an opponent is weak enough, Alexus can use his magic to force them to stop fighting(impose a promise on them consisting of 'don't attack me anymore'). This is called 'Suppress' in the MERCY menu, as opposed to Spare or Flee. This is the only power Alexus can use freely. Unlike Sparing, it becomes more difficult to Suppress enemies with high LV and AT, as the mistrust and unease caused by them make it more difficult to force a promise on to them.**

 **In terms of overall power, I rank Alexus's power just slightly under Frisk's in terms of usefulness, and completely fitting with Alexus's personality.**


	8. Rest and Recovery

**Brothertale**

 **A/N: I've been fairly busy in real life, hense the long wait. This chapter...is really just a bridge to the next set of events, but is still fairly important for character development and world-building reasons, so I hope you like it anyways. Here is Chapter 8: Rest and Recovery**

* * *

"Ungh...I feel like I'm a shishkabob. Where...am I?" I said slowly as I opened my eyes, only to immediately shield them from the light. I quickly took stock of myself.

I was laying in a soft bed, and nearly my entire upper body was wrapped in bandages. There was no sign of my shirt, and around me I noticed bloodstained scraps of leather that were obviously the remnants of my jacket. My body felt stiff and achy, and I felt that if I let myself, I would fall back asleep. I pushed away that urge and mentally called up my STAT page.

* * *

 **"Alexus"**

 **LV 3**

 **HP 7/7(inj*)**

 **AT 12(0) EXP: 36**

 **DF 9(0) NEXT: 34**

 **Weapon: None**

 **Armour: Leather Jacket(destroyed)**

 **Gold: 309 Kills: 0**

 ***Physically injured. Maximum HP reduced by 38 points.**

* * *

 _Lovely. Fragile, unarmed, and effectively unarmored, and I have no idea where I am._

"You're finally awake." A familiar voice said. I groaned, the voice having given me a very good idea of where I was.

"...Undyne. Shouldn't you have stolen my SOUL by now?" I said. I heard Undyne chuckle quietly.

"Considering you saved my life and nearly sacrificed your own doing so, I could hardly just stand there and watch you die, even if you are human." Undyne answered.

"...Thank you for saving my life in return then."

"It wasn't me who actually saved you, I just brought you here and kept you alive long enough for the one who actually saved you to arrive."

"Then who did? And where is here?"

"We're in Undyne's house right now. And I guess it was me who saved you, though not all by myself..." A second voice entered the conversation...a voice I recognized.

"...is that you Frisk?" I struggled to push myself up, only to freeze as my entire upper body erupted in pain.

* * *

 ***1***

 **Alexus LV 3 6/7 HP(inj)**

* * *

"Agh...ow ow ow!" I shouted, stiffening as wounds I'd failed to account for ignited in pain, and I realized that I'd actually managed to inflict damage on myself just trying to move.

 _Just how badly am I injured?_

I felt small and definitely human hands grab onto my shoulders, gently pressing me back onto the bed.

"Easy Lex, you're still not fully healed yet." Frisk said. I again opened my eyes, this time withstanding the light. Frisk sat next to the bed I was laying on, leaning over me. I reached up and pulled her down on to me into a hug, though she put her hands down to prevent her whole body weight from pressing on to me.

"You...idiot. I was so worried about you." I said tearfully into her hair, holding her tight.

"I'm the idiot? You're the idiot here, and you're one to talk about worrying when you almost DIED on me." Frisk said, sounding equally emotional.

"But Frisk, I promised, didn't I? I won't die." I said. Frisk, surprisingly, pulled back and glared at me as I said that. I quirked an eyebrow, but decided placating her was the important thing.

"I didn't mean to upset you. I won't..."

"Be more careful from now on! What if something horrible happened and I couldn't save you!?" Frisk shouted at me, cutting me off.

"Frisk...it's ok. I'm fine."

"It's not ok! You were SO CLOSE to dying...not just once either. Undyne could have killed you so many times over during your battle. I don't want to lose you!" Frisk shouted at me, tears falling from her face.

"...and you won't. I'll take better care of myself...and you too. I promise." I said. As soon as I said that, my SOUL suddenly appeared in front of myself, and released several silver strands that looped around and flowed back into my SOUL.

 _...what._

"...what was that?" I said in false calm, trying not to freak out.

"That was...magic. How do YOU have magic? What did you do!?" Undyne said, a spear already formed in her hand. I only now turned to face her, and instantly knew that neither Frisk nor I would stand a chance right now if she chose to attack. I also realized she was actually much slimmer that I had thought, now that her armor was removed.

 _Strange, the thoughts that go through your mind when you're about to die._

"I don't know! What did that do!?"

"...it's Oath Magic, and he did nothing. Your barrage of magical attacks likely woke up something he's always had the capacity of. Also, **dispel your weapon...or else.** " Frisk said, growling the last part, her hand gripping her own weapon. Undyne slowly lowered the conjured weapon, but did not dispel it. Frisk also remained in a ready stance, but didn't draw their weapon. I could almost see the sparks fly between the two.

"...how do you know that?" Undyne said.

"I can't say. But...without a doubt, that magic is Alexus's, and it's called Oath Magic."

"You're hiding something." Undyne said, her gaze piercing into Frisk.

"A great many things actually. And Alexus is the only one I will EVER tell...when the time is right. But that isn't important right now." Frisk responded without flinching, meeting Undynes stare with a steely glare of her own. After a moment, they both broke the impromptu staring contest, silently agreeing on a draw.

"I...I'm going to head back to the lab and get a piece of equipment. Please wait for me to return Alexus." A new voice spoke, one I hadn't heard before.

"Who is that?"

"Oh...m-my n-name is A-alphys." Alphys said nervously. She seemed frightened by the ongoing hostility between Undyne and my sister.

"What equipment?" Frisk said, her voice having a slight edge, and her body slightly tensing. I pushed myself up again, ignoring the pain, concerned with Frisk's tone speaking with the two monsters, it being at odds with what I was used to.

"N-nothing to b-be afraid of. I'm g-getting a SOUL analyzer. It'll detect a-and d-display the 7 p-primary attributes of human SOULs, as well as M-magic and D-determination levels.

"Wait...Determination isn't one of the seven traits? I thought Red SOULs had Determination as their primary trait." Frisk said.

"No...The 7 t-traits are Patience, Bravery, Integrity, Kindness, Justice, Perseverance, and Empathy. Determination is...er...d-determined by the intensity of the color...the more vibrant the color of the SOUL, the more Determination. T-that applies to monster SOULs too, the Amal...er...never mind. I'mgoingtogonowbye!" Alphys seemed to panic slightly as she ran off.

"What was that about?" I asked.

"...it's not important. What is important is what you can do with that magic of yours. You don't want to be ignorant of its capabilities, the potential for chaos is enormous."

"How do you know what it can do?"

"...someday, I'll tell you that Alexus. I do have a great deal of secrets...things that you aren't ready to learn...but I promise you I will tell you, when the time is right." Frisk said. Without any input from me, another silver thread wove its way into Frisk's SOUL, which appeared momentarily for it to do so.

"Again...seriously Frisk, what is this?" I asked.

"Oath Magic is exactly what it sounds like. Your magic can force others to uphold promises they make to you. Right now, it seems to be on a hair trigger, you should probably focus on controlling that, as well as finding out if you can release these promises once they've been made. You can also use this power to form a contract, with both yourself and another person having conditions to uphold. From what I saw, you can also use this power to make yourself stronger in order to keep a promise."

"...what did you see that makes you think that?"

"You nearly died when fighting Undyne. In fact, you would have, if not for your magic. Not only did your magic give you the Determination to withstand Undyne's attacks...it also gave you the needed AT to pierce Undyne's defenses. I'm not sure if that was because of the Determination itself, or if your magic gave you a power boost independent of that. Regardless, your magic is why you survived...since you promised me you wouldn't die."

"His attacks seemed to...tear away at me, when they hit...but I didn't feel any malice behind them. Almost like he was holding back..." Undyne said in an effort to understand.

"I guess I was a little bit. I wanted to win, but I didn't want you dead." I said.

"...So it was Determination, since too much of it destabilizes the bodies of Monsters, since they're mostly formed of pure magic and their very SOULs. He was so supercharged with Determination that it affected his weapon as well, causing his attacks to hit a lot harder than normal. The only other thing that could have done that is LV."

"And his LV decreased to 3 after saving my life, so it was unlikely that he was relying on it in any way." Undyne said.

"You can do that?" Frisk said, surprised.

"Yeah. When I first fell, I was at 5 LV, but I decreased to 4 after refusing to strike down Toriel, since she wouldn't let me pass as she considered me a danger. She reconsidered after seeing me truly give up on chasing after you, since I wouldn't kill her and she wouldn't allow me to pass unless I did...and let me tell you, that was _not easy_."

"I see. So...what do you think you can do with your magic."

"Honestly, not too much. Sure, I can make a contract or make someone keep their promises, but they need to willingly make the promise first. So it's useful...but not too useful."

"Don't be so sure. Even magic that appears straightforward and useless can be amazing if honed. Look at Papyrus. Blue magic, on the surface, doesn't seem like it would be that useful...but blend it with his other abilities, and suddenly it's a formidable tool in his arsenal. Besides...what you can do sounds terrifying." Undyne said.

"How so?" I asked.

"Alexus...if you learned to control your magic, you might be able to force a promise on someone without their consent. Basically, you could impose anything on to someone else...any promise, any contract, even demands if you worded them right...not to mention the fact that they would be unable to break the hold unless they could overpower your SOUL, something which no monster could hope to do on their own." Undyne said.

"Is it really that strong?"

"Yes...in the wrong hands, your power is, as I just said...terrifying."

"Why are you telling me that?"

"..." Undyne looked distraught for just a moment, as if she had forgotten we were technically enemies, and didn't say anything. I closed my eyes and let out a sigh.

 _...alright. I guess...I should do this. It's the right thing to do._

"You're a good person Undyne, if a little aggressive. So...I freely make this promise to you. No matter how everything goes down...somehow, I'll make sure the Barrier is destroyed, or give everything I've got trying. Monsterkind will be free. They deserve at least that much. And by free, I mean truly free, I won't be pulling any trickery with my magic to make them subservient to me. Using my power like you described would basically be magical slavery, and even at my worst, I would never stoop so low."

"Wha...why are you making that promise? Why would you..."

"I thought I already told you! I refuse to be held accountable for what humanity did during the Human-Monster War, since obviously I wasn't there...but refusing to undo those wrongs would be wrong, and completely my own fault. And Frisk here managed to pound it into my thick head why I shouldn't do wrong things...even for good reasons."

"He really was pretty thick for a while." Frisk said, smiling. I shot a mock-glare at her.

"Oi, no comments from the peanut gallery." I said. Frisk held her hands to her mouth, giggling.

"What are you gonna do about it thick-head!" Frisk said, laughing.

"...just you wait until I can move, you're in for it." I growled out.

"Ooh, I'm SO scared." Frisk said.

"You should be you little pipsqueak! Get over here so I can give you the noogie you deserve!"

"Never!" Frisk shouted, laughing even louder than before.

"...you're the same." Undyne said quietly, a look of realization on her face.

"Pardon?" I asked. Frisk gave Undyne a quizzical look.

"...I visited a school not long ago. I was hoping to inspire some of the kids to join the guard when they grew up a little more. And you two...you remind me so much of them it isn't even funny."

"Well...we are both still kids. I don't quite know how it works for monsters, but humans are considered adults when they turn 18. Frisk is 12, and I'm 14. Although for us, 16 is the more important milestone, since that's when we get kicked out of the orphanage."

"You're 14? You act older than that, from what I know about humans. Not to mention, aren't you a little tall?" Undyne said.

"...I may 'live' in an orphanage, but I grew up on the streets. I grew up fast. I had to...or both Frisk and I would have ended up dead in the gutter. I can only really let my guard down with Frisk. Honestly, I think my LV decreasing is because I'm slowly deprogramming myself of what I learned growing up, fighting for survival in a harsh world. As for me being tall, I just hit a growth spurt not long ago, but I'm definitely not fully grown yet."

"So what did you learn on the streets?"

"I think a talking flower put it best. My old way of life...everything I learned on the streets...ultimately it boiled down to ' _Kill or be killed_ ', though I never did actually kill anyone. On the surface...everyone seems to be out for themselves, so if you want to get ahead...you had to do whatever it took. I came very close to the point of no return. Luckily...Frisk managed to dissuade me from following that path." I said. Surprisingly, Frisk averted her eyes from me as I explained this to Undyne. I tried to take a closer look to try and figure out what was wrong.

* * *

 ***CHECK**

* * *

 **Frisk**

 **LV 1**

 **HP 20/20**

 **AT: 30(30) EXP: 0**

 **DF 3(3) NEXT: 10**

 **Weapon: Bloodstained Knife**

 **Armor: Faded Ribbon**

 **Kills: 0**

 **Your sister. A pacifist who won't hurt anyone if she can help it.**

 **Her knife is coated in your own blood, from her efforts to save your life.**

 **...why is she avoiding your eyes?**

* * *

 _Whoops. Guess I figured out how to 'CHECK' others outside of battle._

"Frisk? Why...are you so on edge? You've been snappish towards Undyne and Alphys, and you've been tense this whole time, even when goofing around with me...and why won't you look me in the eye? None of this is like you. What's wrong?" I said quietly. Frisk turned back towards me.

"I...sorry. I'm just...a little worked up. I mean...you were so badly hurt...I had to give you blood just to give you a chance...and..."

"And?" I prompted.

"...you aren't going to believe this, but although I helped, I wasn't the one who made sure you lived."

"Oh, is that it? I don't really care if it was Alphys or Undyne, all that matters..."

"It was Flowey." Frisk interrupted me.

"...Flowey? Why would he...there's something you aren't telling me, isn't there." I said, figuring out rather quickly why she was being evasive. Frisk avoided my eyes again.

 _What isn't she telling me. Why would someone who is clearly our enemy help us. Unless..._

"...what did you give him, in exchange for his help?" I asked slowly. Frisk chuckled.

"You always were good at sniffing out a secret...at least, when I'm trying to keep one. But I can't tell you...at least, not yet." Frisk said.

"But..."

"After you've seen the Barrier. Once you've done that...the time should be right then. Until then...please, just don't ask. All I will say is what I gave up was not even close to being worth your life." Frisk said. It was only now that I realized Undyne had left the room to give us a small amount of privacy. I couldn't have said when she had actually left.

"...I'll hold you to that." I said. Frisk smiled.

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't. You really hate when people don't keep their word...something I've always liked about you." Frisk said.

"Hey, I'm b-back. I b-brought the a-analyzer." Alphys said as she reentered the room, Undyne right behind her.

 _That explains where Undyne went...she went to answer the door._

"...I'm sorry if I scared you before Alphys. I might be upset over the things that happened earlier, but that's no reason to be rude or threatening." Frisk said, contrite. Alphys was surprised for a moment, but quickly adopted a smile.

"T-that's no problem. You did just go through something traumatic...and I wasn't very sensitive either. I'm sorry as well." Alphys said. Frisk smiled back, and quickly helped Alphys bring over the SOUL analyzer.

"Alright...everything is hooked up...and we're ready to go. Alexus, if you would?" Alphys said. I slowly got up out of the bed, taking care not to aggravate my wounds, and stood where Alphys indicated. With the press of a button, lights filled the air as the analyzer went to work.

"...and we're done. Alexus, you can sit down if you like." Alphys said, and I did so.

"...alright. I can confirm you've got Magic as a part of your SOUL, though currently it is at a weaker level than any monster. That proves you didn't do something like steal a Monster SOUL to gain access to magic. I doubt your magic has fully stabilized, as you seem to have awoken it rather recently...no more than a few days ago at the earliest."

"I thought that stealing Monster SOUL's was impossible. Monster SOULs don't stick around after death...at least, according to the glyphs."

"You could have taken a Boss Monster's SOUL...but that's ruled out. Do you want to see the results of the analysis?"

"Sure, why not?" I said. Alphys hit a button and removed a sheet of paper, handing it to me. I scanned the document.

* * *

 _ **SOUL Analysis for subject: Alexus**_

 _ **SOUL Type: Human; Bravery**_

 _ **Determination: 94(*)**_

 _ **Empathy: 75**_

 _ **Bravery: 95**_

 _ **Justice: 83**_

 _ **Kindness: 49**_

 _ **Integrity: 90**_

 _ **Patience: 44**_

 _ **Perseverance: 37**_

 _ **Magical Output: 28(*)**_

 _ ***Values are fluctuating relative to one another, suggests a link between the two traits. Values given are averages.**_

* * *

"That's a very strong score for Determination, no Human SOUL has ever read below 85, and the highest I've ever seen is 96. The fluctuations appear to be relatively minor, no more than a couple points off at the greatest amplitude."

"...for the sake of reference, could you also scan Frisk, so I have something to compare it to?"

"I don't see why not? Frisk?" Alphys turned to Frisk, who looked distinctly uncomfortable. However, she began moving towards the Analyzer.

"Alright." Frisk said. She stood where I had previously, and after another light show, we each held a printout, comparing the two.

* * *

 ** _SOUL Analysis for subject: Frisk_**

 ** _SOUL Type: Human; Empathy_**

 ** _Determination N/A(*)_**

 ** _Empathy: 90_**

 ** _Bravery: 83_**

 ** _Justice: 41_**

 ** _Kindness: 73_**

 ** _Integrity: 36_**

 ** _Patience: 70_**

 ** _Perseverance: 75_**

 ** _Magical Output: 00_**

 ** _*Unable to obtain an accurate read, as trait exceeds upper bound of scale._**

* * *

"Wow...your Determination is so strong it broke the scale." I noted. Alphys looked shocked and quickly read the output on her screen, before beginning to type furiously.

"What's wrong Alphys?"

"...A score that exceeds the upper bounds of the scale has NEVER been recorded...but even more than that, it shouldn't be POSSIBLE!""

"Why not, isn't this a scale between 1-100? Couldn't Frisk just have like, 105 units of Determination."

"But it's a logarithmic scale, like decibels! Going from say, 30 to 31 is a small jump, let's just say 50 units, whatever those units may be, but 90-91 is a huge jump, akin to something like 5 million units. Theoretically, a score of 100 should be impossible, as no SOUL...not even a human SOUL...should be able to contain it. I'm the inventor of this scale, and I set 100 as the theoretical equivalent of a monotrait SOUL, which would be impossible because there would be no personality or emotion...just a need for purpose and a single minded desire to accomplish it. In fact, it wouldn't even be a real SOUL...determination isn't actually a trait, it's more like...fuel for SOULs, for lack of a better word. Weird things happen when something has a lot of Determination and no SOUL."

"Weird how?" I asked.

"...have you ever met a talking flower?"

"Yes. He attacked me when I fell." I answered.

"That flower has no SOUL...yet it has strong Determination. And you see how that's turned out...it's psychotic. Someone with only Determination, and completely without the other traits, but especially Kindness, Patience, and Empathy, would have that same lack of morality and compassion. But obviously, Frisk isn't like that, she's been working tirelessly to aid you. Nothing makes any sense about this...and yet...here it is, in black and white." For some reason, Frisk was looking pale, though she seemed to recover quickly.

 _There is definitely something up with her. I...want to get to the barrier as fast as possible so she'll actually talk to me. But why is she being so secretive._

"Wait...if this scale is logarithmic...then what about all the unaccounted parts of our SOULs...since even adding up all my traits won't be equal to a single 100, if you converted everything down to a basic unit and added it all up."

"This only measures the 'primary' traits, that form the foundation of who you are, it wouldn't include your emotions or your ambitions, not to mention the countless secondary traits that no doubt exist...none of that will show up on this, and yet are crucial components of your SOUL."

"So what does this mean for Frisk?"

"Honestly? I have no idea. For a moment, I'll set aside the sheer impossibility and try to figure this out. For a monster, they would find themselves effectively immortal, except..." Alphys trailed off.

"Except?"

"...Monster bodies aren't built to handle Determination. Our bodies are formed of our magic, essentially as an extension of our SOUL. Determination destabilizes magic, thus, in this hypothetical scenario, the monster would find their body would destabilize...essencially melting, until an equilibrium is reached. With nigh-infinite Determination, no equilibrium is possible, and the monster would like lose all physical form. What would happen to the SOUL at that point is anyone's guess."

"But human's don't have that problem. Our bodies are physical, with our SOULs residing inside."

"That is true...perhaps some kind of storage for it inside your body? But...no, there would be too many problems with stability...what about..."

"What if the Determination isn't all within my SOUL? What if it were attached in some way, but not actually part of it?" Frisk asked.

"That...might explain the readings and brings this scenario to highly implausible instead of impossible, but then the question becomes what is attached to you?"

"...Don't worry about it Alphys. I know, and that's good enough." Frisk said, her expression hardening once again.

"Another one of those things you don't want to talk about?" I asked. Frisk nodded.

"Then I won't ask, and I ask you to drop it as well Alphys. You won't get anywhere anyways."

 _But...even though I say that...I'm worried. Frisk was never like this before she came to the underground. What happened to her?_

* * *

The next few days were spent simply healing, and watching Frisk interact with the two monster women. Frisk had to intervene several times to prevent Undyne from burning her own house down with overenthusiastic cooking. Eventually, I was forced to show Undyne how to really cook, patiently explaining why simply raising the heat higher and higher would never work...several times. This seemed to help Undyne see me more as a person, instead of just a SOUL she wanted to take from me.

Alphys ended up being a huge fan of anime, something which I also enjoyed, so I ended up watching several different anime's with her, some of which I had seen, some which I intended to see at some point, and some I'd never heard of. Her nervousness seemed to disappear when discussing anime, and I found myself enjoying the time I spent with her. Frisk also seemed happier when we were talking about nothing of consequence.

I also watched Frisk carefully at other times, and what I observed worried me. The Frisk I knew was still there...but there were times where she said or did something that made no sense to me. It was like she had grown years in the few days she'd been gone...and that also led to a schism between us that had never been there before. Of course, she refused to speak of this to me, mentioning 'the right time' whenever I asked.

After a week of rest, I finally felt well enough to travel. Alphys mentioned that a creation of hers, a robot named Mettaton, had decided to set up various traps in Hotland, and was waiting for us there in order to stop us from reaching New Home, and thus, Asgore. When I asked how he'd come to know about us, Alphys told us that Mettaton had access to her computer network, as it ran most of Hotland. I accepted her explanation, while also doubting that he could have done so without her noticing far earlier. When I brought it up to Frisk, she said simply that she trusted Alphys, and that whatever happened, they'd be ok.

Undyne also gave me a new jacket to replace the one I'd lost, though I felt less comfortable with it. Regardless...

* * *

"Thank you for the jacket. But...why are you giving me this?"

"Alexus...if you had asked me even one week ago if I thought I'd ever befriend a human, I'd have called you crazy. But...you've grown on me...same with Frisk. I can hardly override my King's orders...but I'm not going to fight you myself, especially since I still owe you for saving me when you could have simply let me die. So that means you'll likely end up fighting the rest of the guard, since I can't order them to let you pass."

"I won't hurt them." I said. Undyne smiled.

"I knew you wouldn't, even without you saying that. But I want you to be safe too."

"How does it fit? And how do you feel?" Frisk asked me.

"Let me see..."

* * *

 ***STAT**

* * *

 **"Alexus"**

 **LV 3**

 **HP 30/30(inj*)**

 **AT 27(15) EXP: 36**

 **DF 14(5) NEXT: 34**

 **Weapon: Metal Bat**

 **Armour: Jean Jacket**

 **Gold: 309 Kills: 0**

 ***Physically injured. Maximum HP reduced by 15 points.**

* * *

"Still a little under the weather, but I'm good enough to travel now. The jacket fits just fine...but I'm going to miss my old one. But that's not important right now. Frisk, are you ready to go?"

"Yep."

"Alright. Now, Alphys said that Mettaton will be blocking the way...but with the two of us together, we should be able to get past. Right Frisk?"

"Sure. Alphys also upgraded my phone with a bunch of stuff that should help us. It's even got a jetpack!" Frisk said, grinning. I smiled warmly, watching her childish excitement.

 _But why does it feel...off? Like she's just putting on a show? I can't reach the Barrier too soon..._

"Well that's good. So...onwards?"

"Onwards!" Frisk said, smiling. I shook my head to clear away the troubled thoughts and took her hand.

 ***Frisk joined the party.**

Together, we set off, leaving Undyne's house and Waterfall itself, continuing this strange journey of ours. And for the first time since I'd jumped down, I was able to simply walk along and enjoy the scenery. It felt nice, and I wished the feeling could last forever.

* * *

 **A/N: Now before everyone here get's all in a tizzy over the Red Trait, let me explain my reasoning. I dislike the assumption that Determination is automatically the Red Trait, though I do concede that it is heavily implied. The reason for that is that Perseverance is a trait as well, and is FAR too close to Determination for my liking(I view perseverance as the will to continue even if you think it isn't working, ie:banging your head against a wall, believing it will succeed eventually, vs Determination which is the will to move forward despite all opposition, no matter how badly things are going...or, to put it another way, that they are basically the same trait, with only how optimistic you are on your odds of success differentiating them)...thus I decided to look at the pacifist route as a whole and decide what trait I could find that defines it most to replace Determination, and settled on Empathy. Frisk, while in FIGHTs, is able to identify how her opponents feel and ACT in a manner that alters their perception of her from enemy to friend most of the time. Even in genocide, the option to ACT is always there, even if it is ignored. Additionally, even in situations where violence would be considered acceptable or even reasonable, Frisk steadfastly refuses, instead convincing her opponents to stop fighting or removing herself from the situation when they are too emotional to do so(except for Asgore, who removes your ability to fight back or run)**

 **Thus, I decided that the Red trait is Empathy, with very strong Kindness, Patience, and Bravery being important as well. Determination is something that is still present, but not considered a primary trait, instead acting, like Alphys said, almost like a kind of fuel for the SOUL, magnifying the effects of the other traits/magic, animating Flowey, preserving life when present in great quantities, and of course, granting Frisk her signature ability. Hopefully, you still enjoy the story regardless.**

 **The SOUL Analysis is something I came up with on the fly, and decided I liked it so much I wanted to include it, even if it isn't very important. I tried to make the values represent the characters as I see them at this point in time. Should things change and their character further develops, then these values would change accordingly. Don't read into it too much, it's really just for fun. But, if you're the kind of person who likes to overanalyze things(like me), then here ya go:**

 **Frisk has high Empathy, Bravery, and Perseverance, which I feel represents her character well, both as depicted in the pacifist route as well as how I've shown her. Her Patience and Kindness are moderate instead of high due to her reactions to Undyne, since she harmed her brother, leading to some understandable hostility. The reason her Integrity and Justice are low is because the Genocide route she's completed has a very real effect on her even without Chara's influence. Determination is unreadable(Read: Through the roof!) because come on now you know this one.**

 **Alexus has high Bravery, Justice, and Integrity, and in fact, if he were slightly less brave his SOUL would have been a Blue SOUL of Integrity. His low Kindness and patience are due to his tendency to resort to violence immediately, and his low Perseverance is because he doesn't get locked on to one strategy, changing his actions as the situation demands, instead of stubbornly sticking to his guns, and not indicative of someone who gives up(that would be low Determination). This is clear in his battle against Papyrus, as he tries multiple strategies to get past him. His Determination is high even without his Oath Magic, and with it it grows even stronger. Finally, his Empathy is moderate, as he can put himself in someone elses shoes if prompted, but is not his default reaction.**

 **Whew...did not mean for this A/N to go on this long(a full page, geez)...later guys, and let me know what you think.**


End file.
